


Because I Could Not Stop For Death

by MsPerception427



Series: Avengers Mansion [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. References, BAMF Laura Barton, Bucky Barnes Recovering, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Pietro Maximoff, Inhumans (Marvel), Kittens, Laura Barton Knows Stuff, M/M, Mutant!Laura Barton, Mutants, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Parent-Child Relationship, Pietro Maximoff Feels, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Protective Avengers, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Laura Barton, Sam Wilson is a Gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-06 14:45:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 56,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6758350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsPerception427/pseuds/MsPerception427
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pietro and Wanda grew up only having one another. And now they have a team, a home and most importantly a family. Yeah, they definitely didn't see that one coming. A series of stories set post Age of Ultron as the twins settle into a world of heroes, monsters, gods and Tony Stark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ...Death Stopped For Me

**Author's Note:**

> Still in the process of shifting things over from FF.net and since I'm currently working on the sequel and technically prequel to this, I figured I'd just bring this one over now. Hope you enjoy!

"Guess you didn't see that coming?"

The words barely left his lips before his body was falling forward against his will. The pain was everywhere. He couldn't focus on any one spot. It all hurt. And oh god, Wanda. He could feel her fear, her panic and he couldn't do anything. He could only shudder as his body grew colder. The darkness forming at the corner of his eyes spread. It was an odd sensation, dying. He felt nothing and yet, felt everything. The pain. Wanda's pain. Clint's hands turning him gently. So gently. Steve touching his face and then his neck. Checking for a pulse.

He could see them now. Even through the growing blackness he could see them. He could see their worried faces. Their cries to hold on even as urgent hands lifted him up and carried him away. They should've just left him there. They were wasting precious time. Why did they even care? They shouldn't. This was his fault in the first place. All of it. His fault. He knows Wanda blames herself but she shouldn't. He was the oldest. He was supposed to take care of her and he failed. He failed her. He failed all of them.

The cold was everywhere now. He couldn't feel anything anymore. Not even Wanda. Oh Wanda. He hoped that she wouldn't lose her way without him. He hoped she found a way off this floating nightmare of a city. He hoped that Clint meant his words. That his sister could be an Avenger now. And that they would keep her safe. Because he couldn't anymore. The darkness was spreading faster. He was numb and cold even as he was laid to rest on the floor of the ship. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was the sky above him. From here it was beautiful. For the first time since he could remember, he saw beauty and hope for something more in that sky. For the first time since he could remember, he wanted something more than revenge or his twin. He wanted to be an Avenger. He wanted to live. Well damn.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He thought dying felt weird but that had nothing on death itself. Dying was bitter and cold. But so far death was warm and a little uncomfortable honestly. He was still surrounded by darkness and it felt like he was floating. There was no sense of time where he was. He simply existed. He imagined he was hovering in some bizarre limbo as some omnipotent higher power decided where he was meant to spend his eternal years. There was nothing in this space but him. Well, him and the unyielding darkness. It was everywhere around him. It surrounded him and sometimes overwhelmed him. But for the most part he was just there… floating.

Sometimes he heard voices around him. Sometimes there were these... flickers of red and occasionally yellow. He could feel Wanda in those moments. He was both happy and scared to even remotely sense his sister. Happy because he never wanted to be alone... be without her. But scared because he wanted her to live. He didn't want her to follow him into this abyss. This never-ending darkness.

He didn't know how much time passed since he died and his arrival in this abyss. He just knew that one moment he was wondering just how long this eternal judgment thing was supposed to take and the next he was suddenly aware of soft sheets against still tender skin. He was no longer floating. Instead he was lying on what appeared to be a bed. There were no voices around him. just the familiar sounds of Wanda's soft breathing echoed by the less familiar quiet snoring of another person at the foot of his bed. He attempted to open his eyes to see who was there with them but the mere thought of the effort that would take exhausted him. Instead he shifted towards where he knew Wanda was and gave into the darkness once again.

The next time he surfaced from the darkness, he was able to pick up on more from his surroundings. There was a steady beeping sound coming from somewhere beside him. Also somewhere near him, he could feel Wanda. Not through the latent connection that allowed them to know where the other was at all times. He was too exhausted to try and sense her that way. No, he knew she was there from the close to nineteen years that they spent with only one another as a constant companion. She was close. Close enough that he could smell the strawberry shampoo she loved when they were younger. That was a luxury they couldn't afford in the years following their parents' death. So the fact that he could smell it now, meant they were somewhere safe. That was evidenced by the fact that she started humming softly.

"Sleep, brother," she whispered. He felt her fingers sweep through his hair. Their connection thrumming with each gentle touch. "We are safe." Pietro gave an answering hum of his own and allowed the darkness to swallow him once more.

He woke up soon after that. He wasn't sure how he knew it was the same day but he did. He felt Wanda's hair tickle his cheek and knew that she had fallen asleep with her head beside his. He felt his mouth twitch somewhat. Though it faltered as soon as he registered the other presence in the room. It was the same one he felt the first time he woke up. It was unfamiliar and yet, he felt comfortable. He felt… safe.

"You awake yet, kid?"

Pietro struggled to open his eyes. It felt like anvils were weighing them down. It took a lot of effort but he managed to crack one eye open to take in the archer sitting in an armchair with his feet propped up on the edge of his bed. The man looked slightly rumpled like he had been sitting in that chair for days. He briefly brushed against Wanda's hand and he found that was exactly what happened. Clint Barton, Hawkeye, had spent the past four days and nights camped out in that very armchair waiting for him to recover. Pietro really did not know how to respond to that. So he did what he always did. He deflected.

"You look like crap, old man."

Clint narrowed his eyes as expected but there was a pull to his lips that left Pietro confused. Clint was supposed to rise to the bait. They would bicker and Clint would leave in exasperation. He was not supposed to be sitting there looking like Pietro just killed a beloved family pet or broke his mother's favorite vase.

"I'm sorry." Pietro's brow furrowed as he stared at Clint. The older man shifted. "For joking about shooting you. I'm sorry."

"You're actually apologizing for joking about killing me when I actually tried to kill you?" Pietro asked, blinking. "You sure you don't need a doctor checking you out?"

Clint rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "The point that I was trying to make, kid, is that I'm sorry. I didn't really want to shoot you. I didn't want you to be shot. And I definitely didn't want you to die for me."

"Not that I'm complaining or anything but how am I still alive?"

"How much did Strucker explain to you about your metabolism and how it works?"

Pietro shrugged, staring blankly at the man. There wasn't exactly a tutorial on their powers once they'd developed. Wanda had a somewhat limited control over her abilities. Pietro's was easier but he still had occasional side effects that he hadn't been able to address. He managed to say this aloud.

"Helen figured that would be the case." At his no doubt blank look of confusion, Clint smirked and nodded. "Sorry, Dr. Cho. You met her in Seoul. She has been looking after you since we got back. She believes that it was a combination of your metabolism and whatever connection exists between you and Wanda. Neither one could bring you back on their own. But together, they helped keep you stable until we were able to get you back here where Dr. Cho was able to help your metabolism heal you."

Pietro looked down at his chest. For a brief moment, he could feel the bullets piercing his skin. But then it was gone. He lifted the arm not trapped by Wanda's sleeping form to brush against the healed skin. It was almost like new.

"How long has it been since…?"

Clint sighed. "It's been about two weeks. You were in the cradle for a few days. It took nearly a day to get you stable. And then Helen still needed more time to fully heal the bullet wounds. Your heart kept stopping. Actually we realized that it was beating so fast, sensors weren't picking it up. So Tony made a machine that was capable of picking up your heart rate. You've been in this room for the past four days."

"So have you," Pietro pointed out.

"I was worried about you," Clint admitted. "I didn't know how old you were before we went out there. I called you kid because you look young. I didn't know that you're actually kids."

"We're nearly nineteen. We are adults," Pietro felt the need to counter. The look on Clint's face showed just how unimpressed he was with that one. He shrugged internally. It was a bit of a stretch. Still, they might be teenagers but they had seen enough to age anyone. "What is your point, Agent Barton? I am old enough to make my own choices. I chose to attack you all on the battlefield in Sokovia that day. I chose to work with Ultron. I chose to leave Ultron just as I chose work with the Avengers to stop him. I chose to save your life. Those were my choices."

"I get that. I just wish that you didn't have to make them."

For that, Pietro had no response. Because hell, wasn't that exactly what he wished too?

"That's not why I stayed by your side for four days though," Clint said, powering through the silence created by his last statement. Pietro felt his brows furrow. "Dr. Cho wants you to get some rest to allow your body a chance to really heal. With all the chaos, construction of new living quarters and well Tony going on with the Tower right now, she feels like it might be best for you to do that elsewhere once you're released from the medical ward."

He bit his lip. The man was aware that they had nowhere to go, right? He doubted they would be welcomed back in Sokovia… what was left of it at any rate. They had no family they could crash with while he was healing. They had to way to earn money to try and find their own housing. Still they had survived with less before and they would find away again.

"That's why I think it's a good idea for you stay with us on the farm."

Pietro blinked. There was an entire part of this conversation that he clearly missed. Did he seriously just offer them a room at his home? And what, he lived on a farm? And who was us? Did he have a family? That would explain the strangely paternal vibe he gave off when it came specifically to the twins.

"Who is us? And what do you mean… a farm?"

"I mean I live on a farm," Clint retorted, laughing at the quiet confusion on the speedster's face. "I live there with my wife, Laura, and our son, Cooper, and daughter, Lila. We have another baby on the way too. His name is Nathanial. Nathanial Pietro Barton."

Pietro's jaw dropped. "You named him after me?!"

"I named him after the brave, stupid kid that died to save his old man's life. So what do you say?"

"I, uh, what did Wanda… did you talk to her?"

"Of course," Clint answered. "She agreed. She is coming with us, of course. She's not staying more than a few weeks. She's a little eager to start training."

"Training?"

"She did step out of those doors. As far as we're concerned, she is an Avenger."

Pietro didn't bother to hide his smile. His dying wish was granted. Wanda was an Avenger. She found a team and a place where she belonged. Of course, he didn't actually stay dead so that brought up the awkward question of what happened to him while Wanda was off saving the world.

"So Wanda will be training and I will be…?"

"Healing. Helen was quite clear that it's going to be awhile before you're suiting up, kid. Your body took a serious hit. It's going to be awhile before you're back to normal. Even longer before your field ready. But we'll get you there."

"Wait," Pietro held up his hand, wincing as it pulled at the newly formed flesh. "Field ready? Am I, are you saying that I'm…. an Avenger too?"

"Aren't you?" Clint countered.

"I didn't get the fancy speech about walking out of doors," Pietro joked weakly. Clint patted him on the leg. Pietro wasn't used to a lot of physical affection but the gesture was equal parts comforting and soothing. Clint smiled.

"The way we see it is, you two are a package deal. We get one, we get the other. Am I wrong?" Pietro snorted. "Yeah, I didn't think so. So what do you think? You think you could stand living on a farm for a bit?"

Pietro's breath caught in his throat. This was definitely not what he was expecting when he woke up. For starters, he wasn't expecting to wake up period. But he had woken up and now the little orphan twins were being offered a home, a family and a team. It was a lot to take in. Clint must have guessed that as he tapped him on the leg once more.

"Look get some rest. You still look like crap. We can talk about everything else in the morning."

"Yeah," Pietro murmured, nodding his head slowly. He started to close his eyes when he realized that Clint wasn't moving. "You going to stay there all night?"

"Yup," Clint grinned. "Your sister wouldn't sleep until she knew you were okay. She's been awake for the past five days straight. The only way I could convince her to finally get some sleep was to promise to stay here and keep watch. That's what I'm going to do."

Pietro let out a breath, settling back against the pillows the best he could. Wanda shifted somewhat, allowing him to shift into a more comfortable position. And then she was back with her head resting on the pillow beside his and her hand wrapped around his. He heard Clint settle back in his chair. It was now that Pietro noticed the chair was perfectly positioned so that anything coming through that door would have to go through Clint first. And he had been sitting there for four days.

"Thanks, old man," he said before pausing. "Thank you, Clint."

Clint snickered. "Don't go getting all touchy feeling with me, kid. It's awkward. But you're welcome. Trust me, you're going to want to get some sleep. Now that you're awake, I don't think I'm going to be able to keep the rest of the team out of here."

Pietro didn't reply. Instead he gave into the quiet call of sleep. He didn't know how long he lay there, soaking in the comfort of Wanda beside him and Clint guarding them when the door to his room opened. He tensed somewhat and was amazed when he felt Clint's hand on his ankle, gentle yet firm. Reminding him that he was safe. Letting him know that the newcomer was not a threat. So he relaxed and feigning sleep in the process.

"I heard he woke up today," the person spoke. It was a woman's voice.

"Yeah, he woke up for a little while before with Wanda. Then about an hour ago, we had a nice talk."

"Did you ask him about coming to live with us?"

"I did," Clint replied to the woman that was clearly his wife. "I think he's a little confused about it but I'm pretty sure he's going to agree."

A silence settled over the couple. Pietro could tell it was a familiar one between two people who understood one another through and through. It was strangely comforting. He felt himself drifting when Laura spoke again.

"What are you thinking about, Clint?"

"They're so young," he whispered. "They're so young and they've experienced so much. Too much."

"You're remembering what it was like," Laura sighed. "But fortunately, they've got something that wedidn't have at their age."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"Us," she laughed. "They have us and the rest of the Avengers."

"You've only met Wanda. How do you even know you're going to like Pietro?"

"Because Wanda loves him and you care about him," Laura replied as if it were really that simple. "And because I know what happens to kids like them. We have a chance to fix that and that's what we're going to do."

"Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you in my life?"

"A few times, but it never hurts to hear it again."

"They're going to love you," Clint promised. "I know Wanda already does. And Pietro… well, he's on his way. Aren't you, kid?"

Pietro coughed, surprised at being caught. He heard Clint and Laura both laugh quietly. There was some more rustling and soon he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and then two lips brushing against his forehead. The sheet covering his bare chest was hitched up slightly.

"We'll talk in the morning. But it was nice meeting you, Pietro."

"You too," he whispered as she pulled away. He opened his eyes to find her drifting to Wanda's side. She draped a blanket over her shoulders before giving her a kiss on the forehead as well. She smiled seeing Pietro's eyes open. She gave him a wave before kissing her husband goodnight and waltzing out the room.

"You okay, Pietro? You need anything?"

"Yes," he replied. "I mean I don't need anything but yes… I would like to live with you and your family."

"Then welcome to the Barton clan, kid. Now go to sleep!"

Pietro snickered but closed his eyes to do just that. He felt something inside his chest loosen. A sense of peace he hadn't felt in years settled over him. For the first time in a long time, he really felt like he was somewhere he belonged. He knew it wasn't going to be perfect and that he was going to make mistakes but he had a feeling these people were going to patient and understanding. A smile lingered on his lips as he fell asleep.

Yeah, he definitely did not see that coming.


	2. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins settle in with team while Clint struggles to accept the reality of teenage children.

Wanda was bored. It was a weird sensation, boredom. She never had an opportunity to feel bored before. Following the deaths of their parents, they did not have time for boredom. They were too busy with simply surviving. And then with HYDRA, there were the experiments and the endless procedures that resulted in his speed and her... weirdness. There had to be a better way to describe what she could do. Pietro was described as a speedster and she got weird. Maybe witch? Hmmm. That had interesting possibilities. She would run it by Clint later.

But at any rate, Wanda was currently bored. She didn't need to worry about food. There was no shortage of Avengers that decided that caring for their youngest recruits was their mission in life. Even Tony Stark himself humbled himself occasionally to bring her a plate of food. Pietro was still on a liquid diet but Tony brought him shakes and smoothies for variety. He swore them to secrecy too. Something about maintaining his reputation. Wanda remembered that was the first time she saw Pietro smile at a member of the team other than Clint. If she hadn't already forgiven Tony Stark, she would've in that moment. Because her brother needed to laugh every now and then. He took care of them for the majority of their lives. It was her turn to look after him. After all, she was the oldest now. He was technically dead for at least a day. That beat his twelve minute head start. She smirked.

"What are you so smug about over there?" A rough voice asked. She turned her head to meet Pietro's amused blue eyes. A week passed since he woke up for good and he was finally starting to look. His cheeks were starting to fill out again, replacing the gaunt look he sported as powers nearly consumed him in an effort to heal him. She lifted a hand to rest against the smooth, slightly warmed skin. It would be awhile before he was allowed out of this bed, much less the Tower but he was alive and here.

"I'm 'smug', dear brother, because you can no longer claim to be the oldest. Death has stolen your advantage."

Pietro's eyes narrowed as he seemingly tried to understand what she was saying. She knew the moment he reached her conclusion by the slight downward tic of his lips. Ordinarily she would just feel his emotions but Dr. Cho warned that his mind and body were still healing. So she waited. She could sometimes briefly sense his mind when they touched and those few fleeting moments were enough for her at the moment.

"Doesn't count," Pietro finally replied. "I was still born first therefore I'm the oldest."

"But you were dead for nearly a day. That means I'm the oldest now. Respect your elders, little brother."

"You've been hanging around the old man too long," Pietro retorted with little heat. Wanda smiled softly.

"Well, we did spend nearly a week sitting by your side. Watching you sleep was only interesting for so long. Conversation kind of became necessary."

"Doesn't change that the old man is clearly a bad influence on you," Pietro pointed out around a yawn. Wanda laughed quietly.

"It is a widely known fact that prolonged exposure to the Hawk can bring about unpleasant personality changes. I'm thinking of calling it the Barton Effect," a new voice chimed into the siblings' bickering. Wanda wasn't surprised to see Tony lingering in the doorway bearing a bag of takeout as well as the usual smoothie for her and Pietro. It was a green one this time. He caught Wanda's lingering less than pleased gaze and shook his head. "Your new parents told me if I was going to keep smuggling anything in here, it was going to be healthy from now on."

Pietro frowned pulling a smile from Tony as he turned the tray of drinks around to reveal what smelled like chocolate. He winked and handed the drinks and food to Wanda. Judging by the yawns Pietro was trying to hide, he would be drinking his later. She left it by his bed anyway. She allowed him the illusion of health. See. She could totally do this oldest twin thing. True to her prediction, Pietro was knocked out within a matter of minutes. She brushed her fingers through his hair gently, sending him further into his much needed sleep.

"He's looking better," Tony commented.

Wanda nodded absently before splitting her attention on Tony and the newest food he brought for her to try. When the team, and Laura, discovered that the twins hadn't really experienced much in a cultural sense, they took it upon themselves to rectify that situation. That was the wonderful thing about living in New York apparently. There was access to a seemingly endless variety of continental cuisine. Today was Indian and just based off smell alone, she really thought that one might be her favorite. She discovered very early in this cultural experimentation they were doing that she adored spicy food. Her mouth watered at the peppery aromas coming from the bag. She pulled the dish out, lamb vindaloo is what Tony called it and tucked in without hesitation.

Her eyes widened a bit as her senses were overloaded with the taste of heat but gradually she got used to it. She was halfway through before she realized Tony was still in the room and trying very hard not to laugh. She could read his amusement but also his hesitation to give into the urge to laugh. Had it been any other Avenger scarfing food down with no sense of grace or decorum, he would've been on the floor laughing, even Sam and Vision. But with Wanda and her brother, he held back. All of the Avengers were a strange mix of emotions and sensations. They were always changing. They could be happy, almost elated in one moment and then angry and sad in the next. She would've been concerned if it wasn't for the fact that she knew that most of the team suffered. But when they were around the twins, they shifted but always positive. There was concern, fondness, occasionally wistfulness and exasperation (that one was all Clint). The only one who never change when he was around them was Tony. He was always distant and guilty. His guilt was heavy and almost blotted out the taste of her food. Almost. She really liked spicy food.

"Do you blame me for helping Ultron?" Wanda asked, out of the blue. Tony's eyes widened even as he started spluttering responses. Her lips curved. "I was aiding Ultron even in his creation. It was I who gave you that vision that ultimately led to you creating Ultron. It was I who later played with the minds of the whole team. I am as responsible for the Hulk's rampage as Dr. Banner. So do you blame me, Mr. Stark?"

"First, stop with the formality. You both call Clint by his name. I know he offered you a permanent home but the Tower is just as good as yours as well. So it's just Tony."

"My apologies, Tony."

"And no, of course I don't blame you. None of us do."

"But we did all of that because we hated you. We didn't believe Ultron was making the world a better place. Not really. We didn't sign up with HYDRA to change the world. We did all of this to get revenge on you," Wanda insisted. She could sense a change in his mood.

"And you should've! Because it's my fault. I made the weapons that killed your parents and destroyed your lives. So you have every right to hate me."

"No," Wanda shook her head. "We didn't. And we no longer do. Because you made the weapon but you didn't fire it. You were not the one responsible for the deaths of our parents. The people who fired that missile were. But we were young. We didn't know any better then. But we both know better now. We both know that you're not to blame."

Tony scoffed. "He knows that too, huh?"

Wanda nodded. "I think he knew before I did. For all that I can see into the minds of others, I believe it is Pietro who may be more sensitive. But he knows, as do I, that you are not responsible for what happened to our family. If you do not hold either of us responsible for Ultron, then you should not hold yourself responsible for our parents' deaths."

Tony was silent for a few long moments. Then he let out a strangled laugh, running his hand through his hair. "I get why Feathers likes you two. You're a lot like him. You won't just let people wallow in their own self-inflicted guilt."

Wanda smiled, both at obviously cheering Tony up and also at the comparison to Clint. She knew that it wasn't exactly a secret that she pretty much hero worshipped the archer at this point. From the moment Vision set her down on the hellicarrier beside the too still body of her brother before flying away, Clint was there. He was there to hold her as she cried tears of fear and then relief. He was there to ground her when the guilt threatened to swallow her whole. He was there to offer them a home. Because the Tower was a place they could train and live, yes, but she knew that the Barton farm would be home. She knew that Laura, Lila, Cooper and soon baby Nate would be family. Then again, the Avengers were too… in their own way.

"How old are you two, really? Not that almost nineteen stuff either."

"We are almost nineteen. Or we will be soon enough," Wanda giggled. "We will turn eighteen in a three months."

"Seventeen? We let a couple of seventeen years old enter a war," Tony shook his head. "We definitely need to start checking ages when we start recruiting. Otherwise we'll end up with a fifteen year old."

"In your defense, you didn't really let us join. We just kind of followed you. We did well for 'a couple of seventeen year olds', didn't we?"

"You did great. I just really wish that you didn't have to."

"Now who sounds like Clint?" Wanda asked.

"Never compare me to Barton!" Tony hissed dramatically yet quietly. Wanda stuck her tongue out playfully earning another fond smile from Tony. "You're okay. You know that, Scarlet?"

"You're not so terrible yourself, Man of Iron."

Tony snorted, flicked her on the arm and turned to leave. But not before promising to bring her dinner from a Jamaican restaurant that had jerk chicken supposedly so spicy, it made your eyes water before you even took a bite. Wanda smiled secretly to herself in anticipation. She could hardly wait. She settled back in her seat, watching her brother sleep and basking in the feeling of peace that living with people that cared about them brought about. She could really get used to this boredom thing.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clint ran a hand through his hair tiredly as he looked over the plans in front of him. They were good plans but he was working with a limited timetable. Realistically, Pietro would be out of the Infirmary in a week. They would watch him for another three weeks and then he would come down to the farm. That's where the problem started. He wanted the kid to be comfortable. Both of the kids actually. The whole point of moving them there was to get them used to the idea of having a home. And that meant having a space of their own. Between him, Laura and the kids… space of their own was going to be limited. He knew neither would complain about sharing the guest room but he didn't want that. He wanted them to know that they were more than guests. Not to mention, he was fairly confident that the guest bedroom would be used a lot more frequently now that Cooper and Lila were calling Steve, Tony, Bruce and Thor their uncles.

So they needed more space. And that's where the idea for the annex came in. Even if he did manage to outsource some help, there's no way he was getting that done in anything less than a month. He knew realistically that it wasn't a big deal. That the twins would be happy with anything. But he wanted them to come to the farm and have everything set up for them. Unfortunately, that was going to take a miracle... or a bored billionaire.

"Just checked on your twins, Tweety," Tony announced as he strolled through the main living room where Clint was seated going over his plans.

Clint looked up with a frown. "Who did you have to kill to get that to happen? I thought it was Sam and Steve today. Sam is supposedly teaching them all about American culture through music."

He let the comment about the twins belonging to him roll off of his back. It was clear that the pair had basically activated his paternal instincts. He didn't even try to hide it. But what amused him was how they had a similar effect on the rest of the team. While Clint was clearly a favorite, the others were campaigning for the second favorite spot. They were going to be spoiled rotten before they even got home… where Laura would most likely continue the spoiling efforts.

"Surprisingly I didn't have to kill anyone. The Army brothers left," Tony shrugged. "Steve caught wind on another lead on Bucky. Romanoff and Vision are still out looking for Bruce. Rhodey is actually at work. Don't worry though. Thor is sitting outside the Infirmary watching and brooding over this Infinity gem stuff."

Clint nodded slowly. That really did seem like something they should start getting concerned about soon. But he couldn't focus on that right now. Right now, he needed to focus on getting "his" twins home and settled before his youngest son was born. Then they could get Pietro back in shape and maybe then he could be concerned about the Infinity gems. Besides Thor was really vague on that one. Maybe it wasn't as bad as they thought.

"You planning on doing some construction?" Tony asked, sliding up to the table where Clint was studying his plans.

"Not here if that's what you're worried about," Clint retorted with a grin, earning a quiet laugh from Tony. He glanced at his friend out the corner of his eye. He looked more settled than he had in the past few days. Clint's grin grew a little bigger. "You had a heart to arc reactor chat with one of them, huh?"

"I don't even have the reactor anymore, Bird Brain. At least pretend to pay attention," Tony chided, smacking Clint on the chest. "But for the record, yes. With Scarlet. We had a chat about guilt and blame. It was appropriately depressing. She's starting to sound like you though. You sure you didn't leave any nine month presents in Sokovia around eighteen years ago."

Clint snorted. "No, definitely not. This whole disaster was my first and last time in Sokovia. They're just smart kids. Well, except the boy. He's an idiot."

"He's just like you," Tony countered, not looking Clint in the eye. "Recklessly stupid, idiotically brave and weirdly protective when it comes to those he calls family."

Clint paused. He never really thought about it that way. Maybe part of what drew him to Pietro (and also away from the kid) was that he saw himself in the teen. He was a bit of an idiot when he was that age. Still was according to Natasha and Laura but what did they know. And he didn't turn out so bad. Clint smirked shaking his head. He really did just adopt two more children. Unbelievable.

"Was he awake?"

"Yeah, for a little while. He and Wanda were bickering when I got there. He's looking a little better. Less like death warmed over at least."

"Yeah, Helen said his metabolism is starting to even out now. She said she might start him on solid foods tomorrow. So you and Steve can continue your efforts at pushing them towards obesity."

"Was going to do that anyway," Tony muttered under his breath. He then tapped the designs. "Seriously, Barton. What's up with these? I'm guessing this is for the farm?"

"Yeah, I thought it would be nice for the twins to have their own space in the house. I was also thinking it would help to have some more space for the inevitable influx of Avengers."

They both laughed at that one. Laura left a few days ago taking Cooper and Lila with her. The two youngest Bartons (for now) would not leave until they secured promises of frequent visits and communication from all Avengers, both old and new. Proving that he really was on a team with some of the biggest softies in the world, they all caved pretty much immediately. And Laura assured him that they were all keeping their word. Even Natasha and Vision were in touch while they were scouring the earth for Bruce.

The total acceptance the Avengers showed his family made him wonder why he bothered to hide them in the first place. True, he hid them from SHIELD because even though he trusted Nick and Phil, he didn't trust the organization. So he kept his family off the radar. But the Avengers… they weren't SHIELD. He trusted them. He liked them. They were a mess but they were his mess. His family too. Well damn. To quote Pietro, he definitely didn't see that coming.

"You're definitely going to need some room," Tony mused, pulling him from his mushy thoughts. "Want some help?"

"Sure, but you have to promise not to create any world destroying murder bots in the guise of helping me some extra rooms."

Tony snorted. "It'll be a struggle, but I think I can manage. Dumbass."

"Moron," Clint shot back fondly. "So not that I'm not ridiculously excited to spend even more time with you than I already do, but why do you even care? There are probably a thousand better things you can be doing instead of helping me build some extra rooms."

Tony shrugged again. His fingers toyed with the edges of the designs idly. "I just…. There have been some mistakes…. Ugh, look the thing is that I screwed up with the whole Ultron thing and even before that. The Wonder Twins lost their parents and their home because I wasn't more careful. Because of weapons that I created. There is nothing I can ever do to change that… to take it back. But I can help them to get a new home and family."

Clint didn't respond. He really didn't know how to start. He simply stared at the man he grudgingly thought of as a friend. Tony could be a huge pain in the ass and pretty much required 24/7 supervision… but he was a good man. He had an even better heart. It was just hard to see it sometimes. But when he let it show, it was an amazing thing to see. Clint smiled to himself. So maybe it wasn't so grudging after all. He leaned into Tony's side.

"You're so campaigning to be their favorite uncle, huh?"

Tony scoffed, nudging the archer in the side. "I'm already their favorite by default that I'm your favorite."

"When did we decide this?"

"I'm totally your favorite," Tony argued. Clint smirked and was just thinking of an effective retort when the elevator to the communal floor chimed. The two men exchanged glances, rising slowly. And then a familiar redhead was storming off the elevator and stalking past the bewildered pair.

"Nat, you okay?" Clint asked, warily. It was kind of obvious that she was not okay given that she just knocked back one glass of Tony's good scotch and was starting to pour a second in the time it took for him to ask that question.

"Bruce?!" Clint whirled around to see that their missing friend was indeed standing by the elevator, shooting plaintive glances in Natasha's direction. "Where the hell have you been?!"

Bruce raked a hand through his hair that had grown even more unruly in the two weeks since Sokovia. It was clear wherever he was, he wasn't living comfortably. And Clint had a good feeling that it wasn't going to be much more comfortable either. He could feel the cold shoulder Natasha was giving him from over here. Clint wanted to sympathize but really, he was slightly pissed at the dude too. He just left. And his leaving hurt Natasha. So yeah, he wasn't too happy with Bruce at the moment either.

"Vision and I found him out in the jungle," Natasha finally finishes her sixth glass and is back to glaring at Bruce. "Fun fact, Vision can carry the Hulk. That's good to know for when he decides to run. Again."

Bruce winced but wisely did not comment on that. Smart man.

"So did I miss anything while I was gone?"

"Oh yeah, you missed some stuff. Pietro jumped in front of Clint and about a hundred bullets. Needless to say, he was very much not okay. That meant that Wanda was very much not okay but she took out Ultron by herself. So win for her. Clint is about to go on paternity leave for his baby and because he adopted the Wonder Twins. Thor is brooding about this Infinity Gem stuff. Cap is still scouring the Earth for any sign of his undead best friend dragging Sam with him. Speaking of Wilson, he, Rhodey, the Wonder Twins and JARVIS Jr are the newest additions to the team."

Now Clint felt bad. Bruce looked overwhelmed by the almost venomous reply from his Science Brother. Damn paternal instincts.

"Seriously, Bruce, it's good to see you, man. I'm glad you're okay."

Bruce nodded in gratitude. "Thanks, Clint. It's good to be back." He looked pointedly at Natasha and then Tony. "It's good to be home."

It's only because they've been best friends for what seems like forever that Clint notices Natasha warming slightly. Bruce is going to have a hell of a time getting back in her good graces but it was only a matter of time. Tony would likely forgive him the minute he got inspired by some new science project. So in about an hour or so. It felt good to have most of the team back under the same roof again. Even their newbies. It was then that a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, Nat, where is Vision anyway?"

"Oh, he wanted to check on Wanda. They've been talking pretty much every day since we've been gone. Wanda didn't tell you?"

Clint felt his eye twitch. "No, Wanda didn't tell me that she's been talking to Vision. What the hell have they been talking about every day?"

"I don't know," Natasha shrugged but with a small smile on her face. "Must have been nice because he pretty much made a beeline to the Infirmary." Clint's eye continued to twitch.

"Agent Barton?"

"Yeah, FRIDAY?"

"Ms. Maximoff wanted me to inform you that she's leaving the Infirmary for a little while. She said she was going for a walk with Vision before dinner."

Clint groaned. This wasn't fair. Lila was still six. He was supposed to have more time to deal with daughters and dating. But no, now he had a teenage daughter that was apparently flirting with an android. How was this even his life?

"I blame you for this, Stark."

"How high did you have to jump to reach that conclusion?"

"This is your fault. You made Ultron and he made Vision. So that makes him your grandson. Your grandson is flirting with my teenage sort of daughter!"

Any response Tony would've made to that was cut off by Bruce's laughter. Both men looked at him with wide eyes before giving into the urge to laugh as well. Natasha even cracked a smile. Yeah, it was good to have the team almost all back together.

"Agent Barton, Mr. Maximoff is awake and intends to go after his sister. Thor is requesting permission to place Mjolnir on his stomach."

Seriously, how the hell was this his life?


	3. So Happy Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Laura contemplates her family, Pietro and Clint bond and the twins figure out what's important out of life.

Laura Barton knew exactly what she was getting into when she married Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton. She knew that he had more than just the physical scars. She knew that he had trust issues aplenty. Hell, she knew that she was the cause of some of those trust issues. She knew that he was an agent of SHIELD and would frequently be away from her and the family they were building. She knew that he had a tendency to blame himself for everything even when there was nothing he could've done. Laura knew all of this about her husband and she accepted him. She even accepted his tendency to pick up strays. First, there was Laura herself. She was a much different person back then. Then there was the angry redheaded Russian assassin that was looking for a way out. And then there was their dog, who was only going to be a temporary thing. That was two years ago. Now, there were the Maximoff twins. Laura didn't hesitate or bat an eye when Clint tentatively suggested that the twins take up permanent residence in the Barton home shortly after they returned from Sokovia. She simply packed up the kids and waited for the ride that she knew would be waiting for her.

Natasha filled her in on the twins on the way to New York. She knew that something major must have happened for Clint to be offering a permanent home to outsiders. She knew something very bad must have happened for Clint not to come home as soon as the mission was done. Especially since he sent Natasha in his absence. Nat, bless her soul, filled her in on that too. Laura Barton didn't know Pietro Maximoff at all but she loved that boy with all her heart for saving her husband. She didn't care if the twins wanted to live there for a few days, months or forever. They were free to stay as long as they wanted. And then she met them. Wanda with her big, sad, scared eyes and Pietro, quiet, gaunt and pale. Every maternal instinct in her flared in that moment. That was the moment she marked them as hers. Her family. Her kids. She was getting as bad as Clint in the picking up strays department.

She and the children stayed for a few days after Pietro finally woke up. The kids loved him as much as they loved Wanda. It was a mutual thing as both Wanda and Clint attested to the fact that Pietro didn't smile nearly as much as he did when Lila and Cooper were in the room. As for Laura, well she adored Pietro as she knew she would. When she looked at the young man, she saw what her husband was like before SHIELD. Before Coulson and Nat and Nick smoothed out the jagged edges and made him the father and husband he was today. Coulson was gone but she was confident that she and Clint and Nat and Nick along with the whole host of Avengers would be more than enough to help smooth out those edges in Pietro.

In the beginning, it was easy enough. He was still healing and so he was sleeping more than he was awake. Clint told her that was a good thing as the kid's cocky attitude was kind of insufferable. Laura was privately of the belief that Clint suffered the kid's cocky attitude just fine and simply couldn't bear to tell himself the truth. In the end, it turned out that it was actually not a good thing that Pietro was unconscious for 80% of his day… at least according to Clint and Pietro. Because while Clint was dreaming up plans to make more room for the twins on the farm and Pietro was sleeping off his death coma, Wanda was filling her time with getting to know her new teammates. One in particular. Laura learned to accept a lot of strange things in her life but having your teenage daughter engage in purely innocent flirtation with an android that was literally born less than a month ago was something new altogether. New but still adorable.

Wanda told her, of course. She called her the very first time she spoke with Vision. She was half hysterical because this was far from the first time that she had a crush but this was the first time it seemed like it was a mutual thing and she had no one to talk to about it. She later admitted that she would eventually tell Pietro but she feared how he would react. Laura thought she was over exaggerating. Pietro couldn't possibly be that bad… or so she thought until the afternoon when she returned from picking the kids up from school to find a video call waiting on her laptop from the Avenger Tower. Fearing the worst, she sent Lila and Cooper to play outside, picked up and was instantly greeted by chaos.

Wanda was glaring daggers at the side of Pietro's head. Her twin was sitting up in bed, his expression was dark and angry while his left arm twitched almost involuntarily every now and then. It was then that she noticed Thor's hammer was also on the bed and a suspicious coil of red was tethering it to Pietro's wrist. She bit her lip in an effort not to laugh. Clint was the closest to the screen and he looked worn out.

"What happened?" she asked, barely stifling a giggle.

The trio decided to answer her as one. None of them seemed to have any idea what the actual problem was and as a result were just trying to make more noise than the other two. She went from two children to five… six, including baby Nate. She cleared her throat, instantly ending the senseless bickering on the screen.

"Wanda, what happened?"

"Pietro and Clint are being completely unreasonable!" she burst out. "I simply went for a walk with Vision and these two insisted on following us! Pietro can barely get out of bed and collapsed before he got down the hall. And Clint threatened to shoot Vision 'right in the mind gem' if he got 'handsy'. I don't even know what that means!"

"Clint!" Laura hissed. She knew her husband had the best of intentions but really? Clint had the good sense to look remorseful, even going so far so the murmur an apology to Wanda. The younger woman narrowed her eyes for the briefest of moments before giving in like Laura knew she would. She gave him an accepting smile in return. So that just left one other person to sort out in this bizarre family dustup. "Pietro?"

The young speedster merely stared at the wall opposite from his bed in lieu of giving a response. Laura could tell Wanda was growing more irritated by her twin's silence. But it was just as clear that Pietro wasn't going to talk… with Wanda present anyway. Laura gave her husband a look. He frowned minutely before ushering Wanda out of the room. Laura noted that despite Wanda's absence from the room, Pietro remained bound to the hammer. That was probably for the best honestly.

"Hey," she said once it was just Pietro in the room. "What's really going on, Pietro?"

Hesitant blue eyes met her gaze through the screen. "I do not trust Vision. That is all."

"Uh huh," Laura drawled. "You want to try that one again, kiddo?"

She saw his lips tic before he sighed. "She really likes him."

"Yeah, she does," Laura admitted quietly. She didn't quite understand the connection between the twins but she knew enough to know that Wanda's crush on Vision was something Pietro was all too aware of even if he didn't know how to deal with his own feelings about that. So Laura didn't feel bad telling him. But she did feel bad about the look of devastation that briefly flashed across his face. "Pietro?"

He shook his head, turning away from the screen. But he didn't move fast enough (god, the irony) to prevent her from seeing the tears welling in those blue orbs. This was serious. Way more serious than she could handle in a single Skype call. She also had a feeling that Clint would be better at getting information from Pietro in this regard. She just hoped it happened soon. Still while this may be "boys only talk" territory she could still interject her thoughts on the issue.

"Pietro, sweetheart, I need you to know that you can talk to either of us whenever you need to or even if you just want to talk about something. I know you're used to taking care of both you and Wanda but it doesn't have to be that way all the time. You can share some of that with me or with Clint. Even with the rest of the team….. Vison included." He tensed but didn't speak. She continued. "We'll take care of you both because that's what family does."

He turned back to face her at those words. His eyes glittered with unshed tears. She longed to hug him until those tears dried up and the smile she had seen only a few times since meeting him made an appearance. But she couldn't because she was here and he was there… for now. But soon she would have all her kids (Clint included) under one roof and she could work on getting that boy to smile more often. That would have to be enough for now.

"Is that Daddy?" Lila's voice startled her out of her thoughts. She noticed Pietro relaxed slightly at the sound of the youngest (for now) Barton. Laura looked down at her daughter who was balancing herself on her tiptoes in a vain attempt at glancing at the screen.

"No, baby. It's actually Pietro."

"Pietro!" Lila exclaimed, doubling her efforts at getting to the screen. Laura took mercy on her and helped the little girl to climb up on one of the kitchen barstools. Laura couldn't help but smile as her daughter settled in front of the screen, practically vibrating with happiness. What made the scene even more heartwarming was that she could see the heaviness lifting off Pietro as he sat up straighter. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am," Pietro said, mustering a wan smile that was almost slightly convincing. "Dr. Cho said I might even be able to leave this bed in a few days."

"That means you'll be here soon, right?"

"I believe that is the plan."

"Great! I have so much stuff to show you and Wanda. I can show you my dolls and my paintings. Do you like to paint?"

Pietro's expression was bemused and confused. Laura stifled another laugh. "I don't really know, little monkey. I've never painted before."

Lila's jaw dropped as she looked to her mother incredulously. "He's never painted?!"

"No, but think of all the fun you're going to have teaching him," Laura pointed out before Lila's indignation over this deficit in Pietro's childhood could turn to sorrow for either of them. "You might have to teach them a lot of things, Lil. They missed out on some fun growing up."

Lila's eyes narrowed as she considered the information her mother just told her. Finally, she reached some sort of internal conclusion as she nodded and asked with all the gravity a six year old could muster, "Have you ever had a tea party?"

The warm sound of Pietro's surprised yet pleased laugh did a lot to assure Laura that he was going to be okay. They hadn't gotten to the twins too late. There was still hope for them both. She hugged her daughter and listened as the pair continued to discuss the proper number of guests to invite to a tea party and the merits of using your imagination versus apple juice. Apparently Pietro took his tea parties very seriously. Yeah, they were going to fit in just fine.   
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Clint knew that he had to talk to the kid. He knew it from the minute he saw the lost look in his eyes after they picked him off the floor following his grand 'follow Wanda' plan. He knew that there was something more than just overprotective big brother instincts coming to the foreground. There was something seriously bothering Pietro. Clint knew this and yet… he didn't know how he was supposed to talk to him. He thought of his own crappy childhood and teen years. There was a significant lack of strong role models back then. He basically raised himself and that definitely didn't end well. He was more of a punk than Pietro when he was the kid's age and he didn't really mellow out until SHIELD… until Phil Coulson.

Phil was all patience when dealing with the newly recruited Clint. Even at his worst, Phil never lost patience with Clint. He dealt with the temper tantrums and the insecurity and helped mold him into the man that he was today. Helped mold him into the husband, father, and Avenger that he was today. He owed everything to Phil. And now he was in a position where he could do for Pietro what was done for him. And he was at a loss. So he took a page from the Phil Coulson manual on dealing with unruly, emotional time bomb punk teenagers and went to find his speedster. He didn't have to look far. Helen released him from the medical ward the night before and Pietro ran straight for the roof. He claimed he liked the open space. Tony claimed it was yet another reason he wanted to run a paternity test on the twins and Clint.

As expected, he found the huddled up form of Pietro sitting by the very edge of the roof. For a brief moment, Clint wanted to rush forward and pull him away. But that would be hypocritical as that was Clint's favorite spot in the Tower. He sent a mental apology to Phil. He didn't realize quite how many heart attacks he must have caused that man back in the day. And now he was in a similar position to Phil. Clint smirked. Times definitely had changed.

He stepped out of the stairwell, grateful that he remembered to grab the kid's jacket before went looking for him. The weather was getting warmer but it was still cool at night. Keeping his footsteps light, Clint joined Pietro at the edge. He unfolded he jacket and draped it around the speedster's still fragile looking frame. He was too thin. He looked healthier but he was a far cry from the cocky punk they met at the beginning of this adventure. He sat down next to Pietro and pulled a candy bar from his jacket pocket. Wordlessly he handed it to Pietro, who accepted the treat with an amused snort.

"You're missing dinner," Clint said as he heard the kid ripping the packaging open. He felt Pietro shrug. "Any reason you're shutting us all out? I get that you're mad at Wanda. And probably Thor for letting you be tied to Mjolnir for a whole day."

Pietro snickered softly. "I am not mad at anyone. I just… I wasn't hungry."

"The fact that you look like the walking dead and your metabolism beg to differ," Clint countered. "Helen ran some more tests before she let you go. Based off the data that we recovered from Strucker's base, you should be faster than you are. Helen thinks it's because you're not eating nearly as much as someone with your metabolism should be."

Pietro turned to look at him. A slight frown pulled at his lips. "They never told us that."

Clint had a feeling that would be the case. HYDRA wanted weapons but they didn't want weapons that might stray out of their control. The twins were powerful but they came with one huge weakness: each other. Pietro would lay down his life for his sister and the same was true of Wanda. She was powerful but there wasn't anything she wouldn't give up for Pietro. So HYDRA gave him the food he needed to survive as a normal human but not the amount necessary for an enhanced speedster. Pietro was fast but with the right caloric intake, he would be even faster. Clint was concerned about that but he was more concerned about what would happen if Pietro didn't have the right caloric intake. Helen listed the side effects and Clint immediately regretted even bothering to ask. He stopped listening after metabolic failure and seizures were thrown out there. The kid was at risk for all of that and worse every day he was under HYDRA's control. Strucker was lucky that Ultron got to him first. Because knowing what he knew now, there was no way Clint would've let the man go out that easily. He would've dragged that torture out for quite some time. He glanced at the quiet teen beside him and was grateful that they got to them now. The twins would be safe and cared for... well as soon as Pietro let himself be cared for. 

"Talk to me, kid," Clint ordered gently. "What's going on? This is about more than just Wanda and Vision, isn't it?"

There was a small sigh but he felt Pietro relax against his shoulder. "Wanda… she is…" he trailed off, running his free hand through the brown and silver mix of curls on his head. "When we were younger, before our parents died, Wanda and I were close but not as close as we are now. She was friendly and everyone loved her. She made friends so easily. I… did not. After our parents, we stuck together. We ignored everything and everyone in the world because we needed to get revenge. It's why we joined HYDRA. Why we agreed to the experiments. I knew it was wrong because that is not who Wanda was supposed to be. She was just a kid."

Clint refrained from pointing out that Pietro was only twelve minutes older than Wanda. That would make him as much a kid as Wanda. Instead, he remained quiet. Simply sitting beside the teen as he paused to chew on his candy bar.

"I'm not angry that she's friends, or whatever, with Vison. I'm really not. It's just that… when I look at her now, I see the Wanda before the bombs came and destroyed our lives. She smiles more now. She has friends. All of the team loves her, even Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner. They adore her. They should. And she loves them. She's never been happier than when you told her that she was going to be an Avenger."

"So if you're not angry, what are you?"

"Scared," Pietro admitted quietly.

"Why are you scared?"

"Because she's going to leave me behind. She's angry with me because she thinks I'm smothering her. I don't mean to. I'm just scared that if I let her go, she's going to move on without me. I'm scared that everyone will realize she's the powerful one. That none of you really need me."

"Oh," Clint sighed softly. Pietro's voice quieted towards the end so that it was really barely a whisper. But Clint got the general idea. They really were too similar for their own good. He shifted so that his arm was wrapped around the shivering teen. Pietro stiffened at first but gradually relaxed with the contact. They sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes before Clint squeezed the teen's shoulders slightly, getting his attention.

"It's time you and I cleared the air a little. So let's get some things straight, okay?"

"Okay?" Pietro replied hesitantly. Clint smiled.

"Wanda is amazing. She is a force to be reckoned with. I don't think any of us are stupid enough to deny that after she used her mind mojo to take down the Hulk, Thor, Captain America and the Black Widow. That's impressive. But you, Pietro, are no slouch. If it wasn't for your efforts during the evacuation, a lot of people would've died. Your speed saved so many lives that day, including mine. So I'm not going to let you put yourself down like that. You are a valuable member of this team. Not because you're Wanda's brother but because of your big stupid, self-sacrificial heart."

Pietro's breath hitched slightly before he let out a quiet laugh. He settled more firmly into Clint's side. The archer smiled wider.

"And another thing, Wanda is not the only beloved one another here. You've got my wife and children wrapped around your little finger. For once, Tony isn't the only one using Stark Industries resources to improve the lives of friends and family. Pepper has pretty much taken over the renovation effort at home. Expect to hear about a hundred questions about color schemes in the next few days. And it's not just them. The whole team cares about you too. You might not be a social butterfly, but they get it. I mean we all have our baggage. That's what keeps us interesting."

"Is that what you call it?"

"Shut up, smartass," Clint chided, giving him a light squeeze. "As for Wanda, she's not leaving you behind. I promise you that. She may have feelings or whatever for Vision. She may be settling into the team but you are and always will be her number one."

Clint glanced out the corner of his eye to see that Pietro was not quite as convinced in that regard. But he had an idea on how to prove that one. He would make the call later. For now, he needed to get about twenty thousand calories into Pietro before he went to bed. Fortunately, the collective group of mother hens that were the Avengers had that covered. Tony, Sam and Steve ordered enough greasy junk food to feed a small army… or a starving speedster. Clint reached up tousle to Pietro's hair.

"Come on. Dinner is most likely here and if Sam peeks through the stairwell door one more time, I'm liable to drop him off the roof without his wings."

"I heard that, Hawk Butt!" Sam called from his not at all discreet hiding spot. Clint could just make out the outline of Steve and Bruce behind him. Idiots.

"I wasn't exactly whispering, dumbass!"

"Language!" Tony taunted over the building's PA system.

"I hate all of you," Steve groused, already turning around to head downstairs with a laughing Bruce in tow.

Clint laughed, smoothly rising to his feet. He held a hand out to Pietro who accepted the assistance without hesitance. He swayed for a moment once he was on his feet but steadied himself quickly. Clint mentally added another five thousand calories to his diet. They walked over to the stairs where Sam was still waiting. Clint was then forced to hand Pietro over to Sam 'King of the Mother Hens' Wilson. He didn't mind as much as he claimed. As they headed back to the common room where everyone was waiting, Clint watched even more of the tension fade away. He even heard Pietro laugh again at whatever Sam was saying. Good. Laura was right, the kid needed to smile more.

Satisfied that Pietro was settled (for now) and on his way to getting food, Clint set about working on fixing the bond between the siblings. He stepped out of the room and dialed the number with a smirk on his lips. He listened as the other line rang, absently keeping track of the various conversation happening in the next room. The line clicked on the third ring and a chipper voice greeted him. His smirk turned into a genuine smile.

"Hey, I have a huge favor to ask. How soon do you think you can get to the Tower?"  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Five days. That's how long it's been since she's been alone with her brother. Following the whole ugly scene with Vision, there has been an Avenger with them at all times acting as a buffer for the tension that was still clinging to them. Wanda couldn't remember ever being upset with Pietro for this long. Honestly, around the third day, she started to feel silly for being mad about something that trivial in the first place. But her pride wouldn't let her make the steps to fixing it. By the fourth day, she just felt guilty and horrible.

Pietro died. Even if it didn't stick, the fact of the matter was he still died. And for a few days early in his recovery, there was a chance he could die again. Only now that he was walking around and eating solid foods was he starting to look like himself again. She should be grateful that he was here with her, not complaining about him smothering her. That's why she was seeking him out on the fifth day. Since being released from the medical ward, Pietro had taken to wandering the halls of the Tower. She knew his favorite place was the roof. But the ever present, if not slightly neglected bond between them, told Wanda that her twin wasn't on the roof. He was in the kitchen on the common floor.

She was just stepping off the elevator when she heard his laugh echoed by an unfamiliar female voice. She was familiar with Laura, Helen, Pepper, Maria and Natasha. They were the only women that spent any time in the Tower. This was not any of the above mentioned women. This one was younger. She raised an eyebrow as she drifted towards the kitchen. Clint was there in the doorway, watching something inside the room with faint amusement. That something was her brother. Her brother and some... woman. She was pretty with blue eyes and dark curly hair. She was also draped across her brother while the latter stirred what looked like brownie mix. Wanda narrowed her eyes. Honestly, he just met this woman!

She cleared her throat but the gesture was ignored as the woman was whispering something in his ear. Wanda felt the slight like a physical blow. Pietro ignored her. He ignored her and was flirting with some woman. Some woman he had to have just met. It was obvious that she was someone affiliated with the Avengers or at least friendly with for her to be here. But Wanda didn't care. All she cared was that her twin brother was ignoring her in favor of flirting with some random stranger. They were twins! They had been together all their lives and for him to just ignore her was… it was… it was pretty much exactly what happened with Vision.

Her shoulders slumped as she realized how Pietro was feeling. Even though she was looking for him so they could talk, a small part of her still felt like he was being her overbearing and overprotective brother. And maybe that was part of the issue. But really, it was just that they were so used to one another that anyone that close to the other felt like a threat. Except for Laura and Clint. Wanda would examine that one at a later time. For now, she was content to brush past Clint, ignoring the beautiful stranger who moved to the side once Wanda entered the kitchen, and wrap her arms around Pietro's waist.

She hugged her brother, grateful that his frame was filling out once again. Clint had him on a high calorie diet for the past week and it seemed it was working. She rested her head on his shoulder and exhaled slowly. She knew Pietro understood what she wasn't saying when his arms rose to clasp onto hers. He leaned his head against hers and also let out a deep breath. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I am too," he replied.

They stood together in their embrace, allowing their connection to say all the things they couldn't always say out loud. For the first time since the battle with Ultron, Wanda felt settled. She felt like herself. And she knew it was the same for Pietro. They were finally back on track.

"Aw, they're so cute. You sure I can't have at least one of them? Doesn't even need to be the boy."

Wanda lifted her head to see that the woman was now standing beside Clint. He had an arm draped over her shoulders and she was leaning into him. She didn't sense any romantic interest from that contact. If anything, it was similar to the affection he showed Natasha.

"No. For the last time, Darcy, you can't have either one of them. They're both mine. Besides if I got back home without both of them, Laura would kill me. Then she'd track you down and kill you too," Clint argued, rolling his eyes fondly. "Wonder Twins, meet Darcy Lewis. Darcy, you know Pietro and this is his twin, Wanda."

"Nice to meet you?" Wanda murmured. "I am confused. How exactly do you know Clint?"

"Met him during the whole New Mexico disaster," Darcy shrugged. "He was the only semi decent SHIELD agent there. He gave me back my iPod and insured his place in my heart for life."

"Doesn't take much with you, Darce. Thor smashed a cup on the floor and posed for a Facebook picture and earned his place there."

"It also helps that he's super ripped."

Wanda found herself smiling at the genuine affection between the two. It was then that she realized something. The proudly smug smile playing across Clint's lips. Darcy's sudden appearance in the Tower. Her interest in Pietro that suddenly faded. 

"This was a setup," Pietro said aloud. Clint's smirk grew wider.

"Yup! And it worked too. Told Laura it would work." The twins glared. "Oh, relax. It was a necessary evil. You two have always had each other. That's never going to change. Now you just have us as well. But we're simply an addition to what you two already had. We're not here to replace either of you in the other's life. I'm reasonably sure that neither of you want to let go of the other. Am I wrong?"

"No," they replied in unison, still holding on to each other.

"Great. So stop with the avoiding and silent treatment drama. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Well now that's settled. Darce, you staying?"

Darcy arched an eyebrow, looking incredulously at the archer. "You're having a barbecue on the roof of Stark Tower where there is copious amounts of food, alcohol and Thor in Revel Mode. You're seriously asking me if I want to stay?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Clint grinned. "Pietro, hurry up with those brownies. They should've been in the oven like yesterday."

"Such an exaggerator," Pietro muttered. Still Wanda let go of him as he used his speed to stir the brownies, pour them into the pan and pop them into the oven. He was done in less than a minute. The task didn't seem to exert him. He simply returned to his seat and smirked in Clint's direction. Wanda found herself smiling as well.

"Told you that you come in handy, Roadrunner. And you were wondering why we keep you around," Clint chided with just a hint of amusement shining through and removing any of the sting those words might have held.

"All I'm wondering is why we keep you around, old man," Pietro countered. "Just a question, but did you get into archery when it was still the hip new thing happening in town?"

"No more television or Tony time for you!" Clint declared. "It's clearly starting to rot what was left of your mind."

"You would know," Pietro retorted, grinning at the dark glare Clint was throwing his way. The grin grew wider as he turned around, gathering Wanda into his arms. He was off and running before the pen Clint threw at Pietro even had a chance to land. Wanda giggled as Clint's mock outrage followed them all the way up to the roof. Pietro let her down gently and they both paused to take in the scene before them.

Just as they expected all of the Avengers (and affiliated personnel) were gathered on the roof. Natasha and Bruce were seated close together, talking quietly with smiles on their faces. Tony and Pepper were snuggled together in a hammock that Wanda knew for a fact wasn't there the day before. Sam was manning the barbecue and chatting with Rhodes, Maria and Helen. Thor, Steve and Vision were talking about something, clearly having to do with Thor's hammer. One day that would stop being an obsession for them. One day….. Clearly that was not today.

"You can go talk to him if you want," Pietro offered, noticing that her gaze was lingering on Vision. She smiled brightly at her brother, looping her arm around his.

"Maybe later," she acknowledged. "But for now, I'm good where I am."

"Me too," Pietro managed to say before they were dragged into the ongoing shenanigans with Thor's hammer.

Tony had separated from Pepper and was a part of the huddle now trying to determine whether telekinesis was worthy or not. A quick push from her mind confirmed that it was not. Thor continued to brag about their general lack of worthiness before the newly arrived Clint shut him down by reminding him of a time when he wasn't worthy either. He then added that Thor cried like a baby. Needless to say, this then led to even more madness as Thor was determined to prove his mightiness. Another thing Clint called into question pointing out that he said those exact same words just minutes before falling under Wanda's spell.

The twins stood back for a few moments and just watched the chaos and general insanity that followed these group of people. Wanda turned to look at Pietro at the same moment he turned his head to look at her. They smiled in unison. Yes, they would always have each other. But it felt pretty good to have these guys around too.


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which people have nightmares and bond over junk food. And Nat and Darcy want to tip the imaginary cows.

It may come as a surprise to some but Clint Barton had nightmares. Actually, it wasn't fair to call what he experienced in those moments as simple bad dreams. Because they weren't always events that his subconscious mined and twisted to make horrible. Sometimes, they were just his actual memories playing out for his personal torture. There was a lot in his life he was grateful for (his wife, his kids, the Avengers) but there was just as much that he would love to forget. In the midst of dealing with the whole Ultron thing, then expanding the house and finally getting the twins settled in, Clint was blissfully free of any and all nightmares. That is until a week after he and the twins got home and he relived the moment when Pietro stepped in the path of twenty bullets. Yeah, he definitely should've seen that one coming.

It took his thirty odd years of experience to keep himself from screaming himself awake. Instead, he sat up straight, careful not to disturb Laura. She hadn't been sleeping well lately. As it got closer and closer to her due date, she was getting more and more restless. He timed his homecoming perfectly. Well that is if he could avoid giving his poor wife any more reasons to worry. She already spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about the kids. The closer they got to baby Nate making his appearance in the world, the more her maternal instincts were kicked into high gear. So keeping that in mind, he eased himself out of the bed and out their room, intent on heading to the barn for some target practice. That always helped him to clear his thoughts.

As he was making his way to the stairs, his mind flashed back to his dream. To that moment when he realized he, and the child he was shielding, was somehow safe. To the moment when he saw Pietro standing over him. That stupid catchphrase he loved so much barely audible over the sound of him choking on his own blood. He fell, hitting the ground hard. Clint had been so surprised he couldn't move. It wasn't until he registered that the kid's eyes were open, yet seeing nothing, that Clint was finally able to move. He remembered Steve coming over but all he could see was Pietro. The cocky little asshole that infuriated him and annoyed him and saved him. The kid who had his whole life ahead of him but chose instead to save one of the people he was working to destroy not too long ago. Kid was right, he didn't see it coming.

Clint changed directions and instead headed down the hall to the newest wing of the house where Cooper and the twins slept. Cooper happily abandoned his room closer to his parents to the baby in favor of moving to the room across from Wanda and Pietro. The twins welcomed him into their inner circle like Clint knew they would. Though he occasionally wished they would be a little less welcoming. Especially on the nights when Cooper had school, and Clint and Laura had to break up the trio's little powwows.

Clint padded quietly down the hall, bearing in mind that both of the family's new additions were light sleepers. He didn't want to bother anyone else with his nightmares. But he needed to check on them. He needed to remind himself that Pietro was still alive. That they didn't lose Wanda to her grief and madness. They were fine. Wanda was most likely on her computer talking to one of the various Avengers. Pietro was probably reading on his Stark given iPad. They were fine. They were… not there. He checked Pietro's room first. The blue and gray room was empty. Wanda's room, fiery shades of red adorning the walls and furniture, was similarly empty.

He fought against the panic. His dream was too fresh in his mind. He knew he wasn't imagining the past month and a half but maybe he was? Maybe having someone as young as Pietro lay down their life for him was the final straw. He knew he was walking a fine line after Phil died but maybe this was what finally tipped him over. He headed downstairs to the kitchen. Screw shooting, he needed a drink. He was halfway to his destination when he spotted two figures sitting close together on the living sofa. The nightlight they left up for the kids illuminated the head of dark brown hair pressed against the mess of silver and brown curls. Clint felt his heart settle at the sight of the twins. He didn't make it up. He didn't lose them both.

"Hey," he called out softly. They turned in unison to face him. Their faces were blank but Clint learned early in the game to look at their eyes. Wanda's emerald eyes were tired and flat while Pietro's blue were red rimmed and too shiny. Black smudges circled both of their eyes. Seems like he wasn't the only one having nightmares that evening.

He walked in the room, smiling softly as they parted, staring up at him expectantly. He settled down on the chair between them, wrapping an arm around Wanda and letting Pietro lean against him. Wanda rested her head on his shoulder. She reached across his lap to hold onto Pietro's hand. Clint placed his free hand over their joined hands.

"Thought I told you both to come to us if something like this happened."

"It was bad," Pietro whispered.

"Who's nightmare?"

He knew from experience that they frequently shared dreams, for better or for worse. One day he was going to get Bruce to explain to him how that connection of theirs worked. But for right now he was content to hold them both and offer whatever comfort he could.

"It was Pietro," Wanda murmured. Her voice was somewhat muffled as she refused to lift it. "He dreamed of… dying."

Oh, well that was dark. No wonder they were both awake.

"You know what works wonders for dealing with nightmares?"

"Talking about them?" Pietro suggested with thinly veiled disgust in his voice. Yeah, he really was a bad influence on that kid.

"God no, I'm not Sam." He paused. "But if you did want to talk about them, you know I'm here for you both, right?"

"Yes, but you are not Sam," Pietro replied with a hint of a smile. Clint tapped the teen on his arm and grinned in return.

"You're damn right. But I find that the cure to all nightmares is junk food and late night television. The more sugary the junk food, the better. So you guys interested?" The twins exchanged matching smiles.

Ten minutes later, the trio were huddled under a blanket surrounded by all of the junk food Clint usually forbid the kids from eating. Wanda was leaning heavily against his side, her feet tucked under her. Clint gave her another five minutes before she was out. Pietro, on the other hand, was sitting stiffly on the seat next to him. His body was tense and yet he couldn't stop fidgeting even as he worked his way through a tub of chocolate ice cream.

In some ways, Wanda was the easiest of the pair when it came to accepting comfort and affection. It wasn't surprising given that Pietro was the natural caretaker of them both. He looked out for his sister. He gave freely and didn't expect to get anything back. He didn't expect to need anything in return. As a result, Wanda was easily comforted by a hug, a gentle pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the forehead. Pietro… well, Pietro was not. It was getting better but it would be so much easier if he was like his sister. Instead he had to be like Clint.

Great now even he was starting to wonder if they were his kids or not. But whether they were his biologically or not, the fact remained that they were as much his kids as Cooper and Lila were. Hell, he was pretty sure Laura was actually hyphenating their names in her head. It was going to be interesting when Pietro left to join up with the Avengers again. He had a feeling his wife was not going to deal well with that transition. But for now, Clint had other things to worry about. For example, the sad, overly anxious speedster beside him that was clearly in dire need of some sort of comfort but too emotionally stunted to accept it. Why did he have to be just like Clint? Why?!

He glanced down to see that Wanda was once again sleeping peacefully before turning his attention to Pietro.

"I had a nightmare too." He kept his eyes on the television but he knew he had the kid's attention. "That's why I'm up. I had a hell of a nightmare and I went to check on you two but you weren't in your rooms."

"What did you dream about?"

"You dying," Clint admitted, quietly. "Seems like it was a theme tonight. But yeah, I dreamt about that moment when you essentially did die to save me. Of the struggle to bring you back. I didn't know if Helen was going to be able to do it. I really wasn't sure. But then she did. And I guess it didn't really hit me how close we came to losing you until we got back here where it's quiet."

Pietro let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

"Are you seriously apologizing for almost dying?" Clint asked, tilting his head to look at the younger man. Pietro smiled softly. "Do not apologize for that. Just promise that you won't take unnecessary risks. I would never tell you not to take any risks. That would be incredibly hypocritical of me. But I do want you to stay as safe as you can. I was pretty upset when we lost you before but it would crush me if something happened to you now. Not to mention what it would do to Wanda, Laura and the kids."

He didn't expect Pietro to respond. So instead he continued to surf through the channels, looking for something to watch. It was mostly infomercials and a few religious programs. Then he found the Disney Channel. The Lion King was just about to start. Well, that's settled. He was so engrossed in the movie, and the struggle not to sing-along, that it took him a moment to register that he was currently being used as a pillow for both twins instead of just the one.

"You ever seen this movie?" he asked, quietly. He felt Pietro shake his head. "It's one of my favorites. Lila's favorite too. Expect that she will make you watch this until you can quote along with it. She's pretty much a Disney freak, that one. She has pretty good taste. Usually. But if she comes to with Frozen, run the other way. You'll have that damn song stuck in your head for days. And I do mean days. She once watched that movie every day for two months straight."

"That one we've seen. A few of the HYRDA guards really liked it."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "A bunch of Nazi worshiping sycophants sitting back and watching Disney movies with the teenagers they turned into a science project. Damn if that's still not the weirdest thing I've ever heard." Pietro laughed again, settling further into Clint's side.

A comfortable silence fell over the pair. Wanda slept on peacefully while Pietro's eyes drooped every now and then but he wouldn't give into it. Clint really hoped he gave up the struggle by the time they reached the part where Mustafa died. That was always Clint's least favorite part. And after everything with Phil… yeah, he had even more reasons to hate that particular scene. Just as the stampede scene was about to start, Clint heard what sounded like someone trying to pick the lock on their front door. He was immediately alert. He nudged Pietro, despite knowing the speedster was already aware of what was happening.

"Take your sister upstairs and stay up there."

"I can fight too," Pietro countered.

"I know you can. That's not what this is about. But in case something gets through me, I need you to protect Laura and the kids," Clint argued. Pietro narrowed his eyes as if wanting to dispute that but eventually zipped away with Wanda in his arms. Clint crept over to the door, pausing only to grab a weapon from the safe they kept locked on the top of the bookcase. He slid the clip into the gun and took off the safety. He had the weapon aimed just as the front door swung open. He didn't know what he was expecting really. But it definitely wasn't a giggly Darcy and Natasha. He lowered his gun, sliding the safety back on.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Clint!" Natasha yelled before slapping a hand over her mouth. Darcy shushed her while fighting off further giggles. The archer rubbed his forehead wearily.

"I repeat… what the hell are you guys doing here? And are you drunk?"

"No," Darcy lied even as she held onto the wall for balance. "We're just tipsy."

"Okay, well. Why are you tipsy at my house at four o'clock in the morning?"

"We are engaging in the ancient rite of girls' night out!" Natasha replied, with an air of gravity that she couldn't quite pull off. Clint sighed and let his drunk best friend topple forward and into his arms. She sighed and nuzzled against his shoulder. Natasha was definitely gone while Darcy seemed slightly better. But still, Natasha rarely ever drank to this level. He frowned down at the redhead obliviously rubbing her face on his shirt. 

"What happened, Darce?"

"She and Bruce decided it was best if they stopped that weird not a relationship thing they were doing," Darcy replied, toying with the edges of her dress with some abnormal fascination. Clint sighed.

He definitely saw that one coming. He liked Bruce. He loved Natasha. But he didn't think that they were good for one another in a romantic sense. Both of them had their fair share of emotional baggage. But together they just compounded on the other's issues. So he knew it wasn't going to work out between them in the long run. He just wished it happened when he was around to handle the fallout. In a way, he supposed that he kind of was.

"Okay," he said, focusing on the two women. "That's really tragic but I don't quite get how you two got from drinking away your sorrows to my farm at four o'clock in the morning."

"Darcy wanted to tip a cow," Natasha slurred. "So we stole a jet and flew to your farm." 

"We don't have cows," Clint pointed out.

"We know."

Clint narrowed his eyes before just giving up. Having a conversation with either woman could be an experience but it went up a whole other level when you added in alcohol. He figured it would just be better to get them settled before he tried for anymore answers. So he steered both women into the living room. He heard Pietro zipping back into the room a few minutes ago. The speedster must have realized that it was safe and come back to finish the movie. At least that's what Clint thought. Instead what he found was Pietro just turning off the television. The couch which was loaded down with junk food when he left was clean. The blanket was folded up and returned to the armchair where it was before. The room was almost the same before their impromptu movie night.

"What are you doing?"

Pietro looked at him with wide eyes. "I was cleaning up after myself before I went back upstairs. I figured you wanted to spend some time with your friends."

Clint rolled his eyes, looking down at Natasha. "Was I this bad?"

Natasha tilted her head to the side. "From the way Phil and Nick talked about you, you were actually worse." Clint scrunched up his nose.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Natasha patted him on the arm before letting him go entirely. She stumbled over to Pietro and dragged him down with her as she collapsed on the sofa. She ignored his confusion as she turned the television back on. "Oh, The Lion King! But aw, we missed the stampede scene. That part always makes Clint cry."

"Shut up, Nat."

"But it's so cute. You cry all manly like. Just one lone tear streaming down your face," Darcy cackled. Clint rolled his eyes, flopping down on the seat beside Pietro, trapping the speedster between him and Natasha. Darcy settled on Clint's free side.

Clint was grateful that Tony pretty much took into account that there would likely be late night visits from the various members of the Avengers. There was soundproofing between the first floor and the second floor where the rest of his family slept on, blissfully ignorant of the drunk intern and assassin singing Hakuna Matata along with an amused, and okay indulgent, archer and a bewildered enhanced teen.

As the movie drew to a close, Clint was the only one still awake. Natasha was drooling on Pietro's shirt. Pietro himself had his head tipped back on the sofa but was leaning heavily into Clint's side. Darcy was curled around a pillow, muttering something about her boyfriend and Thor. Clint's sanity probably depended on not knowing what the hell she was dreaming about. He was stuck. Any shift of movement would've disturbed them and he found that he really didn't want to. He knew that Natasha was upset about her latest breakup but she came here. A couple of days with the kids and she'd be right as rain. Darcy would be there to help out any time the kids couldn't pull her out of her funk.

He was starting to doze off himself when he heard whisper light footsteps approaching the sofa. He smirked and tilted his head back to regard the newcomer. "You were faking it, weren't you?" Wanda laughed softly, coming to a stop behind her brother. She brushed her fingers through her twin's hair. Clint felt Pietro relax even further.

"I do not know what you're talking about," Wanda said, her voice amused in a way that even Clint couldn't help but smiling to. "But I do want to watch this Lion King movie tomorrow. It seemed… fun."

"You got it, Scarlet."

She beamed in his direction. With a flick of her wrist and a haze of red, the blanket from earlier settled over the sofa and the four people resting there. She leaned down to press a soft kiss to her sleeping brother's forehead. Clint felt himself melting further down as the same kiss was bestowed upon him. As he finally settled down to sleep for the night, Clint realized this was not a comfortable position at all. But the crick in his neck and pains in his back were so worth Pietro's sound sleep and the torture he was going to inflict on the kids' two hungover aunts.

It was damn good to be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to any Brutasha fans but it just wasn't working for me. Maybe I'll try and explore it in the future. But I've been a Clintasha fan since the first Avengers movie. So even accepting Laura is difficult for me. But I really can't see the whole Natasha and Bruce thing. Have no fear, there will not be too much in the way of drama there. But for now, Aunt Nat is joining the Barton's on the farm. Hope that you all enjoyed this chapter.


	5. The Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clint is exhausted, Tony is the best, tensions are brewing about superheroes and a new Barton is born.

Clint pinched the bridge of his nose, wincing at the sharp ache stinging just behind his right eye. He only gave into the expression of pain for a brief moment before he was forcing a smile on his face and addressing his daughter. Lila babbled something about a painting she and Pietro worked on the day before bouncing away to regale her Aunt Darcy with the same tale. Natasha and Laura were chatting as they worked on the pile of breakfast dishes. Never before had Clint been so happy for the household rule that stated that the cook didn't have to do dishes. He was already exhausted and it was only nine in the morning.

He always wanted a big family. His own childhood was lacking and he wanted to make sure that his children never had to experience anything like that. He was reasonably sure that he succeeded on that front. The twins had taken to Lila and Cooper like ducks with water. Lila and Pietro shared a passion for arts and crafts, not to mention actual talent. Clint was seriously contemplating starting a whole room just to display the pieces the pair came up with. Honestly, if Pietro ever decided to retire from the whole Avenging gig, Clint was signing him up for art school. He was pretty good. Wanda, on the other hand, had little to no artistic talent whatsoever. She made up for that with her love for books. That was something that she shared with Cooper. It was hard for Clint to imagine a time when he wouldn't come across Wanda and Cooper curled up together in an armchair reading together or Pietro and Lila covered in paint and grinning like maniacs over a piece of paper or whatever canvas they used these days.

So the point is that the twins settled into family life so smoothly he often forgot they weren't actually there from the beginning. He later confirmed that his wife was indeed hyphenating the twins' names. Although sometimes she just slipped and referred to them as Wanda and Pietro Barton. Clint didn't mind that nearly as much as he thought he should. He loved having them here because while it added to the mouths they needed to feed, there was still a certain order to the chaos that started from having four children with a fifth on the way. Still, with Laura pretty much cranky and exhausted all the time, the burden of caring for said children and very pregnant wife fell squarely on Clint's normally capable shoulders. Add in that a depressed redheaded assassin and her equally exasperating partner in annoying Clint crime and the normally level headed and responsible archer was rapidly reaching a breaking point. Then his computer starting ringing.

He pulled up one of the barstools and accepted the incoming Skype call. It wasn't from the Tower which was odd. Instead it was from Tony's private number. That was definitely not the norm. That meant that Tony was actually awake and outside the Tower at a decent hour. But he still sat up straight as the call connected. Tony's way too bright smile stared back at him. It was barely nine o'clock and his friend was already dressed. Clint glanced down at his pajamas and shrugged. He was on paternity leave. He didn't have to get dressed if he didn't want to.

"You're looking sunshiny and happy," Tony quipped. Clint gave into the urge to flip the older man off. Tony snickered. "Whatever, Barton, I'm being for real here. You look like crap, bud. What's wrong?"

Clint gave him a tired smile, propping his head on his hand. "Careful, Stark. That warm, fuzzy caring side you swear doesn't exist is starting to show again."

Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Tweety, you're looking a little stressed."

"Well I do have two kids, a very pregnant wife, genetically enhanced twins with superpowers and a dog to take care of. Not to mention Nat and Darcy."

"I thought they were going to help."

Clint arched an eyebrow. He turned the screen around to face where the majority of the family was still sitting. There was a brief pause before Darcy launched a forkful of cold eggs at Pietro's head. The speedster yelped before speeding Lila and their artwork out of the way. He was back and throwing a pancake at Darcy before she could even register his absence. Clint shook his head as Natasha and Cooper got pulled into the mess. Wanda threw up a telekinetic shield around herself and Laura, never tearing her eyes away from her book. Clint admired the madness for a brief moment before he flipped the computer around again to see Tony's awestruck yet bemused expression.

"You were saying?"

"Never mind, I kind of forgot who I was talking about for a moment there," Tony replied, fond amusement coloring his voice. He sobered quickly, drumming his fingers on his knee. "At the risk of further damaging my narcissistic and emotion free reputation, I have to admit that I'm a little worried about you, Clint. If you're this stressed out now, how are you going to be when the baby gets here?"

Clint felt another weight added to his shoulders. He raked his hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. "Thanks for the reminder. I have no idea what I'm going to do either."

"I'm not the only worried about you, Clint. I'm just the one they elected to talk to you about it." Clint snorted.

"That's pretty damn sad."

"You're telling me," Tony grinned. "Really though, what do you need? Tell your favorite Avenger and maybe your wish will come true."

"Again with this? When did we come to the conclusion that you were my favorite?"

"I'm totally your favorite. Spider Chick and the Wonder Twins don't count. That means I'm your favorite." Clint rolled his eyes to Tony's amusement. "Now answer the question. What do you need?"

Clint winced as the increasing volume from the escalated food fight threatened to overload his hearing aids. He turned the volume down with a press of a button. Tony leaned back on the screen, so that his mouth was clearer. Clint smiled faintly.

"I just need a day," he admitted. "A day where no one needs me."

Tony was quiet for a moment. He glanced at something slightly off the screen before grinning brightly. "Awesome. Well, my young Hawk, ask and you shall receive."

"Huh?" It was far too early in the morning for Tony's particular brand of crazy.

"Look outside," was all Tony would say before the screen went dark and the call ended.

With a heavy sigh, Clint pushed away from the computer and walked over to the window overlooking the front lawn. His jaw dropped slightly as he recognized the car that was pulling to a stop on the paved driveway. Happy waved from the driver's window even as the back door opened revealing Tony Stark in all his glory. He spread his arms to the side and grinned.

Clint opened the door, joining his friend on the lawn. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Giving you a break," Tony replied, slinging an arm around the archer's shoulders and steering him towards the house.

Clint realized just how carefully planned out this whole scheme really was. The food fight was clearly staged to cover up the noise from the car arriving. As Clint and Tony joined the rest of the family, he found that they were already cleaning up. Thanks to Pietro's speed, the room was mostly clean by the time the two men walked over the threshold.

"What do you mean, you're giving me a break?"

"I mean that Darcy over here is taking the kids into town. They're hitting up the zoo, a museum and a few parks. Laura and Natasha as having a spa day. And you are not to do anything more strenuous than go to the bathroom," Tony rattled off as each grouping of his family split off to get ready for their various activities. "You're officially off duty today. You're leaving everything to me and your very capable twins."

"Uh," Clint hesitated for a moment. His gaze flickering to said twins who were busy washing dishes and ignoring the two older Avengers behind them. Tony caught his gaze and shook his head.

"Don't get your underoos in a twist. They're not going anywhere. They'll be here. I don't think they're ready to be away from you anymore than you want to be away from them." Tony shifted closer to him. "But seriously, bro. Maybe that's not the healthiest thing either. Wanda was already supposed to be back for training but she keeps putting it off. The only reason you don't have the paragon for American values on your back is that he's too busy chasing down every lead he can find on Barnes."

"I know," Clint sighed. "Eventually, I'm going to have to learn to shorten the leash a little. Learn to let them go."

"Yeah, eventually. But not today."

Clint smiled softly. "No, not today."

"Get some rest, buddy. I'll hold down the fort."

Clint nodded in gratitude. He flashed a thumbs up to Wanda and Pietro for the role they played in getting him to take a day off. They beamed in response. Clint grinned. Someday… but definitely not today.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
When he opened his eyes, it was easy to tell that a significant amount of time passed. It was definitely darker outside. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was almost eight o'clock. He slept damn near eleven hours. He must have been more tired than he thought. As he stretched, he realized that he very easily could've slept for another few hours. So why was he awake? Oh yeah, his phone. He patted the sheets until he fought that his phone that was still buzzing. There were three texts from Natasha. He opened them and felt a burst of excitement as well as some anxiety. Still he knew panicking wouldn't do him any good. Instead, he slipped his pants on along with his less crappy looking sneakers before heading downstairs to find chaos. Because of course Tony decided to try cooking with the twins. Of course he did.

Clint leaned in the doorway watching as Tony and Pietro argued about the perfect speed to whisk some sort of batter. Beside them, Wanda was using her powers to crack eggs. She was making slightly less of a mess than her brother and Tony. That wasn't saying much because the kitchen looked like the entire contents of the pantry and refrigerator exploded all over the room. Despite that this was going to be a nightmare to clean up, Clint couldn't help but smile. Because as they say, it's the thought that counts. Besides he couldn't wait to hear the explanation behind this one. He cleared his throat softly, watching as the trio tensed and turned around in unison. The eggs Wanda was cracking fell to the floor, temporarily forgotten as they faced Clint with wide eyed expressions of surprise and false innocence.

"Uh," Tony started before looking to the twins. They stared back at him. Tony bit his lip. "Dinner? We just, uh, dinner."

Clint grinned. "Uh huh. And what exactly are you supposed to be making? Besides a huge mess?" once again they exchanged confused looks. Once again they had no answer. Clint laughed, shaking his head. "Well, I appreciate the thought but it's not necessary. We can just grab some dinner on the road."

"We're leaving?" Wanda frowned as she and Pietro idly picked egg shells out of their hair. "Where are we going?"

"It seems that baby Nate takes after both his namesakes and has either the best or worst timing possible. Maybe it's a combination of some sort. So definitely Pietro."

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry," Clint shrugged. "We have to get to the hospital. Laura is in labor."

They were frozen again. Clint replayed this last sentence through his head but couldn't see what got them stuck this time. "What?" he asked warily.

"You're really calm to say that your wife is having a baby!" Tony retorted without any real heat behind it. Clint snorted.

"Not our first time at this particular rodeo, you know. Panicking doesn't help. It just gets me kicked out of the delivery room. As it stands, Laura and Nat don't believe me and Nat is going to be the labor coach in case they throw me out again. Jerks." He shook his head. "Anyway, here's the plan. Speedy, you clean up this mess you all made. Again. Tony, call Darce and let her know to come to the hospital. Scarlet, I need you to grab Laura's hospital bag as well as the other bag with a few things to keep you all occupied at the hospital."

He paused noticing that they were all still standing there staring. He sighed, clearing his throat. "Uh, guys? Baby?"

"Right! Baby!"

From there it was a whirlwind of activity. Literally in the case of Pietro. Clint remembered when they first met Pietro just a few months ago. When the speedster was in motion, it was damn near impossible to see him but Clint had better eyesight than most. He could make out the faint outline of the kid when he ran. These days, however, even with his better than average eyesight all he could see was a blur of silver. He was faster than ever before. His task was done before Wanda even made it all the way upstairs.

Pietro came to a stop beside Clint with that same cocky grin in place. Clint found himself smiling in return. Gone were the days when Pietro was pale and gaunt. Life on the farm had given him a natural tan and more muscle than before. According to Darcy, Wanda wasn't the only twin that turned heads when they ventured into town. People seemed especially drawn in by his unusual hair. Clint eyed the always unruly mess of curls that was Pietro's hair. He noticed that the brown color he shared with his twin was fading slowly leaving behind a color that was mostly silver. The silver seemed to grow with his speed. He made a mental note to run that theory the next time he spoke with Helen. She might be able to share some insight.

"What?" Pietro asked, noticing his lingering gaze.

Clint ruffled the kid's hair, earning a weak glare. "Just thinking about your code name. Wanda seems attached to Scarlet. I think she's adding witch in there because she thinks it makes her sound cool. I admit, it does sound pretty badass. So I was thinking that maybe you should go with the color theme too. You know since you're kind of a matched set."

"Really?" Pietro drawled, trying to sound uninterested and failing miserably. "What color were you thinking?"

"Silver," Clint replied, grinning at Pietro's disgruntled look. The expression morphed though as he clearly gave it a little more thought.

"Quicksilver," he said after a long moment. "Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. I think that could work." He smiled faintly at the end. Clint nodded before taking a deep breath.

"You know that you two are free to start training whenever you want you. You know you don't have to wait for me to go back, right?"

"We know," Petro shrugged. Then he tensed. "Do you want us to leave?"

"God no," Clint blurted, trying to erase that thought from Pietro's mind before it even fully took hold. "We love having you here."

"And we love being here. Are you quitting the Avengers?"

"Of course not."

"Great. Then we will return when you do. The matter is settled now, yes?"

Clint chuckled, slinging an arm around Pietro. "The matter is settled now. Yes."

It was probably better this way. Wanda and Pietro proved they were better together than apart so Wanda leaving early wouldn't have worked too well in the long run. Now that Pietro was at least well on his way to being fully recovered, they both could've left but he got it now. They were happier here. This was the first time in almost eight years that they had a stable home where they didn't have to worry about shelter or food. This was the first time in eight years that they had a family. Clint was pretty confident that none of the Avengers (especially Steve) would be cruel enough to take that from them before they were ready.

He snapped out of his thoughts as Wanda came rushing down the stairs with the requested bags as well as another with Pietro and Lila's art supplies. She shoved the bags in her twin's arms and looked to Clint with an expectant gaze. Clint snorted, pressing a kiss against her forehead in gratitude for thinking ahead. If there was anyone he was worried about in the hospital, it was those two. Pietro and Lila were the creative types. That meant that they both required more to keep them occupied and in one place. Clint realized the original bag he packed was definitely woefully unprepared for that task.

Clint didn't know how he lucked out and got this amazing family after everything he went through and did in his youth, but he wasn't mad at it. Though he may have lost Phil, he had his wife and kids not to mention the family he found with the Avengers. He wasn't sure he was going to like any of the team much less adore them but he did. Even Tony. He glanced up at the man as he returned to the room announcing that Darcy and the kids were on their way and would stop and pick up dinner along the way. He watched as the genius took one of the bags from Pietro and led the way to the car outside. So maybe Tony had a point. Maybe Tony was his favorite. But like hell Clint was going to tell him that. His ego was big enough as it was.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
There were many areas of life that Tony knew he excelled in. He was a genius at pretty much anything he set his mind to. He could charm the pants off anyone… not that he used that particular skill set these days. But he could if he wanted to. He liked to think he was pretty good at being a superhero… that little snafu with Ultron aside. He also liked to think that he was pretty good at making business decisions. Best decision he ever made was to put Pepper in charge of the company. Tony knew he was good at a lot of things. But there were still things he struggled with. Like cultivating and maintaining positive social relationships. He was hard-pressed to understand why Pepper, Rhodey and Happy continued to choose to associate with him but they did. The rest of the Avengers seemed to like him too, even Steve. And weirdly enough he liked them back. That of course is what led him to his current situation.

Tony never once in a million years thought he would be hanging out in a hospital waiting area in the Middle of Nowhere, America with a couple of kids, his teenage teammates and a hyperactive intern that was currently flirting with a fresh out of medical school resident. Tony smirked as Pietro narrowed his eyes at their interaction before smiling with the same mischievous grin Tony had seen on Clint's face whenever he was setting up a prank or causing some sort of chaos. Pietro leaned towards Lila, whispering something in her ear that pulled the same exact smile from the little girl. Tony crossed his arms over his chest to watch. This was bound to be more entertaining than CNN's ongoing coverage of the 'Superhero Menace'. That was definitely going to be an issue… in the future. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the rare peace he could only find with these people.

Lila sprang out of her seat a moment later, drawing Tony's attention back to the scene about to unfold. She took a few quick steps until she was across the room where Darcy was obliviously giggling at something the resident said. She snuck up behind the woman and abruptly threw her arms around her waist. Darcy hesitated for a minute before placing a hand on her shoulders, giving her a small hug in return. Lila grinned up at her with bright, innocent eyes.

"Mommy? Is he going to be my new Daddy now that my old Daddy got himself locked up again?"

Tony couldn't repress the snort that erupted at Darcy's red face spluttering. Her new resident friend backed away with his hands up and arms out wide. He was shaking his head slowly before bolting away fast enough to give even Pietro pause. That pause was short lived, however, as there was suddenly 110 pounds of pissed off intern in his face. The kid responded in true Avenger form: he stupidly laughed in the face of danger before realizing he was in too deep and turning to a more responsible member of the team. Unfortunately, Wanda wanted no part of their shenanigans and was pointedly ignoring her brother's increasingly more pathetic calls for her assistance. Tony was content to watch it all unfold and promised he would interfere only if it looked like Darcy was going to pull out the Taser.

"Lila? Cooper?"

The amusing spectacle that was Pietro and Darcy was put on hold at the sound of a new players entering the waiting room. Tony watched as Pietro lost all hint of playfulness and shift closer to the young Barton children. Wanda placed her book to the side as she studied the two women who joined them. Suspicion was evident in her eye. Tony didn't know what she was picking up from the women that was causing her to make that face. That was not a good face. Tony chose that moment to glance at the women himself. They were around the same height, medium builds with long brown hair. The clearly older woman had gray streaks throughout her hair and the matching scowls between them indicated that they might be related. There was something about them that seemed familiar but Tony couldn't place his finger on it.

"Oh hi, Grandma… Aunt Brenda," Cooper said with a heavy sigh.

Despite not knowing about his wife and children, Tony knew a lot about Clint's family situation. He knew the archer was an orphan and pretty much an only child for all that he wanted anything to do with his older brother and vice versa. So these two had to be Clint's in-laws… Laura's mother and sister. He wondered if they were anything like Laura who taken in her husband's team without blinking an eye. He wasn't left wondering very long.

"Who are you people and why are you near my grandchildren?"

Tony decided to intervene at this point. Pietro was sporting that kicked puppy look he swore he didn't have but used pretty liberally. Wanda was clearly struggling with how to feel about their abrupt and frankly hostile attitude. Darcy, on the other hand, very clearly knew how to feel. Tony skidded across the floor to stand between Darcy and Laura's family before she was tempted to use the Taser on them… more than she clearly already was.

"Hello," Tony greeted as he subtly bumped Darcy back towards where the twins, Lila and Cooper were standing. "I'm…"

"Tony Stark," Brenda finished. "You're Iron Man. I don't think there is a person alive who doesn't know you are, Mr. Stark. Now I'll ask the question again since you didn't seem to want to answer my mother. Who are you? And why are you near my niece and nephew?"

Tony bit on his lip for a moment to smother the retort that rose easily to his lips. Cooper seemed to have a better understanding of the situation as he stepped forward.

"Grandma, Aunt Brenda, you know Uncle Tony but this is Aunt Darcy. And this is Wanda and Pietro. They're twins. They live with us now."

Grandma did not look happy at that but wisely held her tongue. Brenda didn't seem to have the same wisdom. Huh, guess wisdom does come with age after all. Tony made a mental note to apologize to all the wannabe philsophers that tried to tell him that.

"Excuse me, they're living with you?! And what does your mother think about this?"

"Mom is fine with it," Cooper answered easily. "She likes having them around. So do Lila and I. besides they didn't have a home and now they do."

"I told you this was going to happen," Brenda hissed in her mother's direction. "Clint just waltzed in, took Laura away to that farm and he's leaving her alone with all sorts of stray freaks he picks up along the way."

Though she was saying freaks plural, Tony knew he wasn't the only one who caught her frequent glances at Pietro's nearly silver hair. The speedster frowned, running a hand through the curls self-consciously. Darcy's eye twitched while Wanda remained surprisingly serene. The answer for that came bursting through the door a moment later. The little witch used her mind mojo to summon Clint. Tony nodded. That was pretty handy. He watched as the archer sought out the four kids, checking each to make sure they were physically okay before moving on to Darcy and then amusingly enough, Tony. He was just about to open his mouth to no doubt ask why he wasn't with Laura when he caught sight of his in-laws.

"No!" he declared, shaking his head. "Carol, Brenda, we're not doing this today. Not today and definitely not right now. Your daughter, sister, their mother, my wife is giving birth. So no, we're not going down the bitch path with you two today."

"I think we are because now I wonder if my grandchildren are safe," Carol snapped. "I heard the Avengers were picking up new people. People with powers. Doesn't it figure that you would bring them home and let them play house with you! Clint, isn't it bad enough that you want to run around and play superhero leaving your wife and children alone all the time? But now you're brining home people with powers? I've seen the news… they're dangerous!"

"One, never ever call them freaks again. Two, their names are Wanda and Pietro," Clint interrupted, his voice dangerously calm. "Three, I'm not playing superhero. I am one. And these kids are not my work. They're my family. That's all we're going to discuss about this right now. I need to get back in there."

Clint then turned to look at the four kids now huddled together. He smiled softly at them before scooping Lila into his arms. She giggled, placing her hands on his shoulders. He pressed a kiss against both her cheeks before kissing her forehead. He hugged her and then placed her gently on the floor. He moved on to Cooper next giving him the same treatment before moving on to Wanda and Pietro. Wordlessly, he pulled both of them close and squeezed tightly.

"I'll be right down the hall. If you need anything, you come get me. Okay?" they nodded. "I mean anything. Wanda knows how to get my attention." Wanda ducked her head, but couldn't hide that smile on her face. Tony grinned. Clint then shifted his gaze to meet Tony's. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know that the archer wanted him to distract the twins. As if he needed to ask. Clint gave a smirk before whispering something that had both twins grinning. And then as abruptly as he arrived, Clint was gone.

Tony stepped up and took his place, slinging a casual arm around them both. "You know what the best part about a long wait in a hospital is?" they shook their heads in unison. "The gift shop! So let's see what Middle American hospital gift shops have to offer." It showed how much they trusted him (or rather how much they didn't want to be in that area) that neither protested Tony leading them away. He was halfway to the elevator when he realized they were alone. "Darcy, that meant you too."

"Dammit!"  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Laura Barton never once regretted having another child. Not even during the mind numbing eight hour labor she just had to endure. Whoever said it got easier after the first was a lying liar that lied and she was going to make Clint shoot them in the face with an arrow. Okay, so she was a little cranky, so what? She was entitled. She just gave birth to a human. That earned her cranky rights for at least a few weeks. The only thing that was going to make this better was watching her older children meet their little brother. She glanced over to where Natasha and Clint were still cooing over the baby as they had since the nurses finally cleaned him up and left him in the room. To say that they were both hardened assassins/superheroes, they were both ridiculous when it came to babies. Or maybe it was just baby Barton's.

The door to her private room (thank you, Stark Industries) opened and soon she was surrounded by two happy and squealing children and her less exuberant but no less excited mother and sister. Clint shifted the baby into her arms so that Lila and Cooper could get a good look at their new sibling. Lila's eyes widened as she took in the baby's tiny features. It was hard to tell which parent he favored the most at the moment, but Laura had a good feeling that he was probably going to resemble Clint like Lila. Figures. Well, at least she had the twins as long as no one asked too many questions. Speaking of….

"What are you two doing over there?" she asked, smiling in their direction. They were unusually hesitant. "Come meet your brother."

"Okay, I have held my tongue long enough," her mother started, causing the twins to flinch and inch closer to the door. Laura's brow furrowed as Clint tensed, Natasha rolled her eyes and Tony sighed. "Laura, you do not always have to follow what your degenerate husband has to say. You mean to tell me that you seriously think of those teenagers as your family?"

Laura frowned and looked up at Clint. "What's going on?"

"Your mother and sister don't believe the twins should be here because they're not family," he answered with a quiet sigh. "That's where I went earlier. To try and diffuse the situation for a bit. It clearly didn't last long."

"You two actually had the nerve to try and dictate who is or is not my family?" Laura scoffed. Off the serious looks on both of their faces, she felt her eyes widen further. "Where the hell did either of you get the idea that you have any right to come here and say anything about my family?"

"Honey," Clint said, rubbing small circles on her back. "Sweetie, you just gave birth. Maybe you should rest a little and not get so agitated. It's not good for you or the baby…that you're holding."

Laura arched an eyebrow before handing Natasha her godson. Lila and Cooper stepped to their favorite aunt's side to continue fawning over the baby without paying one bit of attention to the escalating tension in the room. They were definitely her children. Laura then focused on her mother and sister, crossing her arms over her chest.

"When I get out of here, we're going to have a nice long talk about crossing boundaries. But for right now, I don't want to hear it. For right now, I just want to be with my family. My real family. So if you are not a part of my immediate family, meaning my husband, my children or the godparents of this child, I'm going to need you to get the hell out now."

She didn't feel bad issuing that decree as Darcy was already out of the room. She promised Tony and Natasha that she was going to update all the anxious Avengers who surprisingly hadn't hopped in a Quinjet upon hearing she was in labor. Clint and Natasha had a pool going on when they were going to show up. They were guessing sometime in the next 24-48 hours. She looked forward to their arrival. But for right now, she looked forward to her mother and sister leaving. They both gave her plaintive looks as they headed towards the door but she pointedly ignored them. Finally, they got the hint and left. She was about to let out a sigh of relief when she noticed that Pietro and Wanda were about to follow in their wake.

"Where do you two think you're going?" they paused. She smiled warmly. "I believe I said my kids, right? Last time I checked, you two fit that criterion."

They each flushed a bright shade of red but slowly approached where Natasha was coaching Lila on the proper way to hold her baby brother. She watched as Wanda touched Nate's hand. His tiny fingers curling around hers. Pietro ran a finger gently over the baby's soft skin, visibly melting as the baby let out a small yawn in response. Laura smiled. She could literally watch this all day. And she would, once she reeled in the other idiot who seemed to think he wasn't part of the family.

"Tony, where the hell are you going?" Clint asked with clear annoyance in his voice. The older man turned around with a confused expression on his face.

"Uh, you said…."

"I believe Laura did say godparents. I mean the kid needs a godfather too, you know?" Clint smirked. "And, well, you are my favorite."

Tony snorted. "I told you so."

"Yeah, you did. Turns out that you're kind of a genius sometimes. Who knew?"

"I definitely didn't," Natasha chimed in, earning an amused glance from Clint and a halfhearted glare from Tony. Laura shifted down on the bed, letting the various conversations from her family wash over her.

"He's so small!" Lila exclaimed, still cradling her brother gently with support from Wanda. The older girl tilted her head to the side with a soft smile.

"But he will get bigger soon," she assured her. "It's your job as his big sister to make sure that nothing bad happens to him."

"Like how you look out for Pietro because he's your younger brother?" Cooper asked slyly. Pietro reached out quickly, flicking the younger Barton on the arm.

"Get it right, I am the oldest. I'm twelve minutes older than Wanda."

"Not anymore," Cooper and Lila replied together. Nate let out a sleepy gurgle that they all interpreted as agreement. Pietro pouted. Wanda patted her twin on the arm.

"I'm going to be just like Wanda! Nate is going to love me best."

"No, cuz I'm going to be like Pietro! And he's awesome."

Lila tilted her head to the side, mimicking Wanda's earlier position. "He's okay."

Pietro gasped dramatically. "You wound me, little monkey!"

"It's okay. We'll always have art."

Clint laughed loudly. "She grew up so fast!" Laura couldn't help but laugh tiredly in agreement. She continued to watch her children (all of her children dammit) bickering playfully. She couldn't understand how her mother and sister didn't see what she saw. The twins were a part of the family that was missing and now was found. They should've been celebrating with the rest. Instead, she was forced to push her estranged sibling and mother away again. Wasn't the first time and with their attitudes, it likely wouldn't be the last. They were bound together until the bitter end. Well, that was just depressing.

"Clint?"

Both Barton parents looked up, immediately on alert. Pietro had that look on his face. The look that usually led to some sort of mischief. What was he planning?

"Since we are a part of the family, do we have godparents?" he asked with a smirk. Laura bit on her lip to hide a smile and deferred to Clint. Her husband laughed.

"Of course you do, kid."

"Who?"

"Steve and Sam."

"And which of them is our godmother?" Wanda asked, innocently.

"Sam, duh."

"I'm so telling!" Tony blurted, already moving towards the door with his phone in hand.

"Screw you, Stark!" Clint yelled, running out after his friend.

Laura laughed, despite the chaos her idiot husband and his idiot best friend were causing. Seriously, they were in the maternity ward in a hospital! But she also couldn't get too mad. It was nice to see Clint have friends other than Natasha. She thought that Phil's death would be the end of her husband but he pulled through and came back stronger than ever. He was healing and it was in large part thanks to the idiot he just chased out along with the other Avengers. That's why she didn't mind him spending time away from home. He was as important to the team as they were to him. They were a mess. But they were his mess. And on the subject of messes…

"You two," she motioned for the twins to come closer. Natasha took over supporting Nate while Cooper took his turn holding him. Wanda and Pietro approached the bed with apprehensive expressions on their faces. "I know that we're not the most conventional family on paper. We came together a little strangely but we're still a family. You're still family. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even my mother and sister. Especially them."

"They're not like you," Pietro murmured.

"No, they're not," Laura smiled sadly. "We weren't close for a very long time. It wasn't until Lila was born actually that we started trying to fix things. We're making progress little by little. But they're not allowed to project their crap on you. You're as much a part of this family as they are. And they're not allowed to make you feel otherwise. You're not allowed to let them. You understand?"

"Yes," they answered together. She held her hands up and smiled as they each held on. "Good. Now that we are settled on that, you want to do me a favor? Get your idiot father and uncle back here?"

Wanda nodded. "As you wish."

Laura raised an appreciative eyebrow at the reference while Pietro looked adorably confused between them. Oh, she had so much to teach that boy before they went back to the Tower. For now, she just settled for watching in slight awe as Wanda twisted her hands, almost rhythmically. She had only a moment to wonder what she was doing when her idiot husband and his idiot friend were floating through the door in a red haze. They both looked a little confused as to how they got there.

Laura snorted. That was definitely going to come in handy at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Nate has made his grand entrance into the world. Some more Avengers will be making their way to scene next chapter.


	6. A Change is Gonna Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things change, Pietro has a crush and so does Steve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important note before you start reading, it's been four months since baby Nate made his appearance and things are a lot different. More notes at the end. Enjoy!

Wanda tried to hide a grin as she heard Pietro let out a sigh of relief at the bell signaling the end of the school day. Ordinarily she would try and reel him in when he reacted that way but she knew all too well how her brother suffered though the day. She knew that what passed as normal time for everyone was painfully slow to someone like Pietro. It was worse when they were in school. Time passed abnormally slow to even a non-speedster once they sat down at their desks. She knew it was killing Pietro a little on the inside but he would play the part no matter how much it hurt. Because that's what they needed to do to blend in and stay safe.

"Let's go," Pietro said, walking over to her desk where she was slowly gathering her things. He was literally bouncing on the balls of his feet. She knew he had an excess of energy he was dying to burn off. But it would have to wait. They had to play the part. They had to be normal. "Cooper and Lila will be done soon."

"They can wait for a few minutes, little brother."

Pietro rolled his eyes. "Stop calling me that!"

"Never," Wanda smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she stood up beside him.

She could feel the curious stares of the other students in the room as they drifted towards the door but she ignored them. Their class was an eclectic mix of people. There were teenagers like herself and Pietro who were too old for high school but wanted a chance to get their degree. Then there were the older adults who had made mistakes and were trying for a second chance. If they were doing this for any other reason than trying to hide who, and most importantly what, they were, Wanda might have been interested in talking to her classmates… maybe even making friends. But the truth was, they were only doing this because it was becoming suspicious that Clint and Laura had two foreign teens living in their home who were barely ever seen. People were starting to suspect they were hiding something. And that just wouldn't do.

Paranoia was at all-time high following the events in the six months following Sokovia and Ultron's campaign of destruction. People were angry. They wanted someone to blame. Tony voluntarily took the brunt of the blaming and shaming. But it wasn't enough. People were still scared by the thought of people with superpowers running rampant. The Avengers were hesitant at first but confident that it would blow over eventually. But it didn't. Because instead of the public finding something other than superpowers to fear, they ended up with new reasons to fear superpowers. Hundreds of people across the United States started to present with previously unknown powers or mutations. This was happening in succession with mysterious deaths where people were literally petrified. No one knew what was happening but it was spreading every day. And people got scared. Wanda knew that fear was never a good thing when it came to mankind. Her mother used to tell them that people were scared of things they didn't understand. And sometimes they would lash out at these things. Her mama was right. Because people started to lash out at the "freaks" almost as soon as the first wave of them appeared.

That brought them to their current state as a team. The Avengers were scattered around the world. Thor, Darcy and Jane were living in London. Tony was the public face of the team, taking responsibility for their actions as well as trying to create a bridge of understanding with the confused and panicked masses. Natasha, Bruce and Vision were working to find the source of these new powered people. Rhodes went to work as normal but continued to offer up information regarding the government's supposed steps at controlling the powered people. Steve and Sam were also gone. They were aggressively tracking down leads on the Winter Soldier. He was a wanted man on all fronts now. The United States government was grasping at any leads they could as to what was happening. And one of those leads led them to information on the Winter Soldier. So now Bucky was being hunted by HYDRA as well as his own government. The injustice of it all made Wanda sick to her stomach and she didn't even know Sergeant Barnes. She just knew that he was being hunted for things out of his control.

Just as she knew that her brother was suffering for things out of his control. It wasn't Pietro who wanted to sign up with SHIELD (or rather HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD). It wasn't Pietro who planted the nightmare in Tony's head that started this whole mess. But it was Pietro who was given the power of speed. Pietro who died and was saved by his powers before nearly being consumed by them. It was Pietro who had to dye his increasingly more silver hair at least once a week to keep people from noticing him. Pietro who had to reel in his need to go fast because it wasn't normal. Wanda hated herself every day for the role she played in all of this. Her family was suffering and despite what they said, she knew she held as much responsibility for this as Tony. She actually had more.

"Stop," Pietro whispered in her ear as they continued out the classroom and down the connecting hall that would lead them to the elementary school. "No one blames you, Wanda."

"That is because no one knows the truth," Wanda corrected with a hiss. "Because you, and Laura and Clint shield me from it all. It should not be Tony taking the blame or being called a monster. It should be me."

"No," Pietro said, his tone harsh but just as hushed as Wanda's. "It shouldn't be either of you. What happened was unfortunate but bad shit happens all the time. The people blaming Tony are cowards. They are scared by people like us. But instead of trying to find a way to work with us, they fear us. They push us into hiding so we go away. Out of sight, out of mind. This is nothing you should be blamed for. You cannot be blamed for the cowardice of mankind."

Wanda blinked away the tears that welled in her eyes as her brother spoke. She lifted a hand to his hair. It was time for another dye job. She could see some of the stubborn silver peeking through the dark brown. While the color was pretty much a match to the natural brown color he sported for most of his life, Wanda found she missed the silver curls. His hair had grown longer since he started dyeing it. He had enough for a small ponytail. It was the only way to keep the unruly curls in check. She missed when he could be free to be who he was meant to be.

"One day, sister," Pietro promised, catching her hand with his. She felt his conviction through his gentle touch. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before whirling around his heel to catch Lila in his arms. She pouted as she failed to catch him off guard… per the usual. "Why do you even bother to try, little monkey?"

"Because I'll get you one day!" Lila promised, wagging a small finger in his face. Pietro rolled his eyes before shifting so that she was on his back as she wanted in the first place. Lila wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs wound around his waist, coming to rest just above his messenger bag. She tightened her grip for a moment in a facsimile of a hug before ordering him to march forward to home. Pietro snapped out a 'sir, yes, sir' before doing just that to the amusement of the other siblings and parents collecting their children. Wanda felt some of her dark thoughts chased away as she watched Pietro interact with their adopted sister. Cooper slid out of his classroom and by her side with the same silent footsteps she had observed from Clint. Wanda smiled, feeling a peace settle over as Cooper and Lila started bickering about something with Pietro chiming in though he was clearly on no one's side. She let their words become background noise as she focused, instead, on their feelings.

Cooper was in a foul mood before he caught up with his siblings There was some incident at lunch with a bully. Wanda made a mental note to bring that up with Clint and Pietro. Bullies always picked on the ones smaller than them. She wondered how this bully would feel facing someone bigger than him. She moved next to Lila. As usual, her little sister was abuzz with pleasant and happy thoughts. Lila's mind was one of her favorites. The girl found the joy and beauty in everything. Her sunny disposition (100% all Laura) made her friends with everyone and her feisty attitude when pushed (that was pure Clint) made sure that no one messed with her. Those that tried learned not to try it again very quickly. Turns out Clint's aim is genetic and Lila was definitely her father's child. She brought a new meaning to the word sneaky. Wanda added Lila to her revenge plans. Nothing is more humiliating for a bully than to be taken down by someone even smaller than them. She grinned. Yeah, that might work better. She slung an arm around Cooper's shoulders.

"We're not all fighters," she murmured. He leaned into her embrace as they started the trek home. Some days Clint would be there waiting for them but the weather was still nice and the walk home help Pietro burn off the energy he had pent up all day.

"I just wish sometimes I could stand up to him. He's such a jerk."

"You don't have to," Wanda assured him. "That's why it helps to have older siblings. You don't think I'm weak when I need Pietro to help me, do you?" Cooper shook his head. "And was Pietro weak when he needed you and Lila to help him when we first moved in?"

"No, he was healing," Cooper protested. He bit his lip as he thought about the point Wanda was making. "Oh, I see."

"We all have our strengths. You think with your brain and not your fists. You have a pure heart. You need to keep that," Wanda said. "Do not wish to be anything more than who you are. Because you are great."

Cooper smiled. Wanda felt his mood lighten. That was good. Cooper was not a fighter. He was a thinker and he was sensitive. She wanted to preserve that. She never had a chance to be anything but a fighter. Lila was a fighter by nature. But Cooper was the opposite. He was like Laura. And Wanda wanted him to stay that way.

"Pietro!"

The four of them came to an abrupt halt at the sound of the speedster's name. They turned around to see a strawberry blond young woman running in their direction. Wanda narrowed her eyes as the girl came closer. She was in their GED class. She was around their age… or at least she looked like she was anyway. Her name was Crystal or something like that. Wanda had only touched her mind briefly once and found that it was chaotic. It felt like all the forces of nature were at work in the girl's mind. Wanda never went there again. There was something off about that girl. So of course, she had to have a thing for her brother. Her brother who might have a thing for her. Wanda watched as his lips ticked upwards at her approach. Okay, never mind. He definitely had a thing for her. Oh brother.

"Hello, Crystal," Pietro greeted as soon as she was standing in front of them. "Is there something you needed?"

"No," she answered, pausing for a moment. "I mean yes. I mean…. Not really. I just wanted to say hi. Long weekend coming up."

"Yeah," Pietro grinned. "You have any plans?"

"No, just hanging around at home," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder at a man leaning against a car. He made no secret of the fact that he was staring at them. He must be her father. Wanda didn't even try to touch his mind. "But if you're not that busy this weekend, maybe you and I could… talk?"

"Talk?" Pietro muttered. "Uh, like on the phone?"

"Or on the computer!" she suggested with bright eyes. "I mean they do that. Talk. It's really convenient. You can actually see the people you want to talk to while you're talking. You people have some of the cutest things here."

"You think computers that talk are cute?" Lila piped up from where she still sat draped across Pietro's back. "Where are you from exactly?"

Crystal's green eyes widened. "Nowhere. I mean here. I mean I'm from here. You know… America."

"Uh huh," Cooper muttered. Wanda didn't need to look to know he was looking at the girl with a skeptical expression on his face. Pietro looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Wanda took a brief moment to enjoy his embarrassment before stepping in to ease the situation. That's what big sisters were for. She reached into her bag, tore a piece of paper off and quickly scrawled the number for Pietro's Starkphone on the scrap.

"This is his number," Wanda said with her best smile. "Call him anytime."

Crystal's eyes widened. "Awesome. Thank you! I mean this is great. I won't call like any time. I'll call at like appropriate times. I promise."

"That's fine," Pietro murmured. A slight flush growing in his cheeks. Wanda bit her cheek to keep from laughing. It would be adorable if it wasn't so painfully awkward and weird. Thankfully, Crystal's male friend felt the same way.

"Crystal, let's go! We have things to do."

"Coming, Karnak!" she shouted over her shoulder. She turned back to Pietro. "I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah, later is good," he assured her. She smiled once more before turning on her heels and racing back to where her friend was waiting. Wanda watched as the man, Karnak, pushed himself off the car. She paused as she noticed his head. It was oddly shaped and seemed larger than normal. But before she could get a better look, they were in the car and driving away. There was something very, very strange about that girl.

"Wanda, you okay?" Cooper asked.

Wanda shook her head as if shaking away her thoughts. She was going to have to pay attention to Crystal and her equally questionable friend, Karnak. Her brother was too into this girl to notice, so Wanda would. She would not allow that girl or her secrets to harm her brother.

"I am fine. We should start walking before Clint comes looking for us again."

"One time we were late," Pietro muttered, hiking Lila further up his back and starting down the road. "He never lets us forget it either."

"He has a memory like a sea lion. They never forget anything," Cooper chimed in. Wanda wrapped her arm around Cooper again. She loved when he shared facts like that. She loved that he knew facts like that to begin with. "And neither does Dad. He remembers everything."

"Except for Mom's birthday last year," Lila said, a hint of evil smugness in her voice. Wanda glanced over at the little girl. She was spending entirely too much time with Pietro.

"And how did that work out for him?" Wanda asked, genuinely curious as to how the archer was still alive if he forgot his wife's birthday.

"He pulled off a really romantic surprise for Mom later," Cooper replied, grinning himself. "Now we have a new little brother."

"Ew, gross!" Lila squealed.

"You're seven! You're not even supposed to know where babies come from," Pietro chided. She tapped him on the forehead.

"I've about that for months and months! Before I even turned seven."

"What the hell do they teach you kids in school these days?!"

"Language!" Lila chirped, giggling to herself.

Wanda shook her head and followed along with her ridiculous family as they continued the walk home. As soon as they were a safe distance from the school, Pietro felt more comfortable running. Lila loved it when he ran. So it wasn't out of the ordinary for the pair to have done two or three laps back and forth to the house before Wanda and Cooper could even see the farm where they lived. That's why Wanda was surprised to see them standing in one of the fields of the abandoned farm near their home. Tony kept joking about buying one of them to use as his own safe house from the media storm. Wanda didn't need to read his mind to know that he wasn't actually kidding about that. But at any rate, the farm closest to the Barton's was still abandoned (for now). There hadn't been anyone there for months. Well, that is, until today.

"What is that?" Wanda asked, cautiously approaching the box that Pietro and Lila were standing in front of. Neither of them answered her, instead choosing to continue staring in the small cardboard box with concerned expressions on their faces. Wanda was no less cautious as she pushed Cooper slightly behind her and moved so that she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Pietro. She looked down and frowned. "Seriously, what is that?"

At first glance, there was a wriggling mass of what appeared to be fur within the box. But eventually, the mass of fur registered its audience and separated revealing itself to be three very small kittens. Wanda never considered herself to be a pet person but she admitted in that moment that she might have melted a little as three little faces looked up to let out plaintive cries. Wanda sighed. She knew that if she melted a little then….

"We have to take them home."

Then Pietro had turned into a complete puddle of goo and would likely want to take them home. She didn't need to look to know that Cooper and Lila were already on board with this plan. They were Barton's. Their natural reaction to creatures in need was to take it home no matter how rabid or feral they might be. They were genetically incapable of exercising logic and sound judgment when it came to strays. Look at their father. He was ordered to take out the Black Widow and instead he took her in, made her his best friend and gave her own room in his home. Wanda knew she was about to launch a losing battle but she wanted the record to show that she at least tried.

"No," she said, as Pietro reached for the box. Her twin twisted his head to meet her gaze. "We are not taking them home."

"But Wanda, if we don't take them with us, they will die!" Pietro countered, with a bit of the puppy dog expression he still said he didn't have. Wanda steeled herself.

"It is not fair to bring them home. There are five of us now, not to mention Lucky and then the other Avengers who drop in frequently. The best thing we can do is to call animal control and report them. They'll take them in and find them good homes."

"But we already have a good home for them!" Lila protested. "Our home!"

"They're really small. You won't even notice they're there," Cooper chimed in, quietly. Wanda closed her eyes, trying to ignore the desperate meows. She had to stay strong. She had to be the one that said no. She had to be the one that said…

"Please, Wanda. We can't leave them out here to die."

She took a deep breath and then made the mistake of looking down at the kittens. While they were still meowing, there was one that was staring up at her with the saddest blue eyes. The kitten was all white… almost silver. She knew it was a losing battle before she started it. But now she knew it was truly over. She motioned with her fingers to lift the box into Cooper's waiting hands.

"Don't blame me if Laura and Clint will not allow you to keep them."

Her warning fell on deaf ears as the rest of the walk (and Pietro actually slowed down enough to walk… willingly) was filled with chatter about the names of the kittens and how well they would get along with Lucky. Pietro was convinced that the dog hated him for some reason and was looking forward to the kittens being his allies. Wanda was privately of the belief that the constant experiments that gave their powers severely screwed something up in her brother's head. That was the only explanation for some of the things he said. She refused to believe that he was this much of an idiot before their parents died. Although…

Any further contemplation of Pietro's idiocy was put on hold as they finally arrived home. Wanda wasn't surprised to find Laura sitting on the porch swing with Nate in her arms. Her face lit up as her children came into view. Wanda watched as her eyes narrowed in on the box held in Cooper's hands. Once they were on the steps, she leaned forward to see the three kittens. Pietro, Lila and Cooper were clearly anticipating questions or perhaps straight up denial. Instead, she shook her head and motioned towards the barn with her thumb.

"Go ask your father."

Pietro let out a small chuckle while Lila simply smiled smugly. Cooper shrugged and led the kitten committee around the house and towards the barn where Wanda could hear Clint practicing with his bow. Wanda raised an eyebrow at the woman she came to accept as her mother before leaning down to kiss her little brother on the forehead. As expected, Nate giggled, waving his hands to catch her fingers. Wanda smiled at him even as Laura shifted him into her arms and scooted over. Wanda settled down on the swing beside Laura and felt peace returning. She was so anxious during the day when they were at school or around other people. But here on the farm, they could be them. They were safe to be who they were. Pietro could run to his heart's content. She could practice her gifts without judgment or fear. Lila had even started training with a bow lately. She was definitely a natural. They were safe here. They were home.

"What are you smiling about?" Laura asked, draping an arm around the back of the swing. Wanda leaned into the embrace.

"Just thinking about the chaos that will happen when Clint caves and lets them keep the kittens," Wanda murmured. "You do know that he's going to give in, yes?"

"Oh, I know. But well the house is big enough. Besides, pets are good for teaching kids responsibility. Lila and Cooper would do well with a pet of their own."

"And what is Lucky?"

"Oh, Lucky is very much Clint's dog. The only one he responds to half as well as Clint is Lila. She's the only one in this house that can woo him away from Clint without having to bribe him with an entire pizza."

Wanda bit her lip to hold in a valiant effort to refrain from laughing. She failed miserably. It was true. Lucky favored Clint and Lila and then the rest of them. He wasn't absurdly loyal though. He could be won over with pizza but it wasn't for long and he didn't stray too far from Clint's side. Pietro was convinced the dog hated him. He might not be entirely wrong. There was a certain lack of affection between the two. Probably because they both craved attention from Clint at around the same times. Wanda snorted. Her twin was special. He was also back on the porch doing what could either be some ancient mating ritual or a victory dance. Really could be either or with Pietro.

"In your face, Wanda. Dad said yes."

"Ever notice that Clint is Dad when he agrees with whatever stupid plan you come up with for the day?" Wanda teased. Her twin rolled his eyes before grabbing Nate and racing into the house.

"I swear Nate isn't going to understand how to walk normally at this rate," Laura complained, climbing to her feet. "I'll call the vet's office in the morning and see if I can't get the kittens in for a checkup. I'm sure your father and brother will be off at some point to buy a ton of stuff we don't need for those cats."

Wanda laughed in agreement and allowed Laura to pull her to her feet. Laura's arm was a warm, welcoming weight around her shoulders. That was another thing about that Barton clan. They were very tactile people. Wanda didn't need to hear Laura or Clint say that they cared. She felt it in every hug, pat on the shoulder, ruffle of her hair or kiss on the forehead. They loved and accepted the twins unconditionally. Sometimes it was a little overwhelming and then other times, it was exactly what Wanda needed. Well them and….

"Wanda, you want to go with us to the store to get stuff for the cats?" Pietro asked, words jumbling together as he spoke. She glanced at the equally amused Clint who was following behind the hyper speedster.

"Sure," Wanda agreed. Laura held her hands out for her bag which Wanda handed over gratefully. "We're just going to the store for cat supplies, right?"

"And maybe I promised I'd get Pietro ice cream on the way home," Clint replied, sheepishly. Laura gave him a look. "What? The kid literally burns off everything he eats in five minutes or less. I seriously doubt that ice cream is going to ruin his dinner."

"And you think the others spoil him," Laura muttered.

"I don't spoil him." Clint turned to Pietro. "Do I spoil you?" Pietro shrugged. Clint turned back to Laura with a wide grin. "See, it's not spoiling unless he thinks it is."

"That's not even remotely how that works," Laura laughed, shaking her head. "But go. Spoil our children, see if I care. I'll watch the wee ones until you return."

"And that's why I reward you with kisses, love and that chocolate cake you love with the layers and frosting. I think it goes pretty well with ice cream, no?"

Laura closed her eyes with a dreamy smile. "Yes, hurry. Get the ice cream… I mean cat supplies. And make sure you get enough for extras."

"We expecting company tonight?"

Laura shrugged, already moving into the house. "I don't know. I just have a feeling that it's not going to be just us tonight."

"Probably just Nat again. She's been getting antsy with just her, Bruce and Vision. Especially since Bruce started talking to Betty again. Awkward. Well, the more the merrier. Unless she brings Darcy. And then I'm kicking them both out."

"No, you're not."

Clint grunted. "No, I'm not. Come along, Wonder Twins."

Wanda followed her twin as he practically vibrated towards the car. He looked like a hyper hummingbird on crack. But more importantly, he looked happy and peaceful. If rescuing a handful of kittens and the promise of ice cream was all it took to bring about her brother's happiness, Wanda would give him all of that and more. She would open up a Baskin Robbins in their backyard if she thought she could get away with it. Honestly, she would probably do it even if she couldn't get away with it. It would be worth it to see Clint lose his mind. She made a mental note to talk to Tony about that later. She was pretty sure he would go along with any scheme that made Pietro happy and gave Clint a few gray hairs.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
It turns out that the only thing more amusing that Pietro after a long school day was Pietro on a sugar high after a long school day. Clint knew it was wrong to laugh but seriously? A hyperactive speedster was the most hilarious thing he'd seen in an awhile. And that included the time that Lila decided she needed a moving target to practice on and volunteered Pietro. The teen had grossly underestimated her abilities with a bow. He never did that again.

But at any rate, once they returned home, the kids settled in to take care of the kittens. The fuzzy silver one with the too bright blue eyes quickly adopted the twins as hers. Wanda was quick to tell Pietro that he was currently under the influence of way too much sugar and there was no way they were going to name the kitten Princess Sassy Pants. As they watched the silver kitten hunting her brother and sister with unerring glee, group consensus agreed her name should be Eris, goddess of chaos. Her brother, an equally tiny gray cat was named Victor and enjoyed curling up in the crook of Lila's arm. The final kitten, with fuzzy black fur with a silver streak on her left front leg, chose none of them. She seemed almost hesitant to come near any of them. She would cry loudly and was content to hide underneath the sofa in the living room. Cooper was alright with that, saying he would help Lila to care for Victor and leave the black kitten to acclimate on her own.

Once the kitten had claimed their humans, Wanda, Lila and Cooper split up to set up the ridiculous amount of cat supplies and toys the twins conned Clint into buying while Pietro did a few hundred laps around the property to burn off the rest of his epic sugar high. Clint was sad to see it go. But there was cake and ice cream for dessert. With any luck, Pietro would go for an encore. Yes, he was aware that he was the parent in this situation. But no one ever accused Clint of being the mature, rational parent. That's what he had Laura for.

Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, his wife hip checked him as she made her way to the kitchen table with a vegetarian lasagna in her hands. Pietro followed after her with another two lasagnas in hand. There were another two waiting in the oven warmer. It was rough feeding four kids, one of which required a disturbing amount of food, but being an Avenger (even a part-time one) paid very well. They were just sitting down to eat when the doorbell rang. Clint was automatically suspicious.

All of the Avengers had keys, though there were a few that didn't want to use them. Thor had yet to grasp the concept of using a key and preferred to land on the roof and wait for someone to let him in. Natasha favored either picking a lock or climbing through a window. Really the only ones that actually used their keys were Tony, Rhodey and Bruce. Even Steve seemed to act like an idiot when it came to using the key. He would either "test their reaction times to potential threats" with Sam by breaking in different places around the house or ring the doorbell like he was a guest and not the guy that crashes on their sofa at least twice a month in between his searches for the ever elusive Barnes. With a heavy sigh, Clint realized that it was probably Steve here for his bimonthly pity party.

He glanced at his family to see they were thinking along the same lines. Pietro rose to answer the door but something in Clint told him to stay put. He couldn't figure out why he was suddenly dreading opening the door but there was a pit forming in his stomach as he got closer and closer to the door. Finally, he pulled it open, not at all surprised to see Steve and Sam standing there. But it was the figure slightly behind the pair that caught his attention.

"You have a key, Rogers. So you do, Sam," Clint chided, taking in his two friends.

They both looked exhausted. But beyond that Steve looked… lighter. He seemed more at peace than Clint could remember seeing him in a while. The only time he looked this happy was when he found out that Peggy was still alive. But even then he came away from that meeting with that too familiar sadness clouding his eyes. The sorrow born from losing everyone he knew and loved. Except now it wasn't there. There was only one reason why it wouldn't be there. Clint exhaled slowly and carefully looked over the thus far silent member of the trio.

The man was wearing a hoodie over a baseball cap. Wispy strands of brown hair peeked through the hooded cover. His eyes were downcast but Clint could make out the color faintly. They were a hazel blue. He was pale and looked more exhausted than Sam and Steve combined. There were dark circles around his eyes that spoke to sleepless nights. He probably wasn't eating much either as the clothes he was wearing were hanging off of his surprisingly slim frame. But none of that caught his attention more than the silver line that appeared in the small space between his hoodie and the glove he had on his left hand. Clint pulled the door closed behind him, silently motioning for the others to move away from the door and his probably eavesdropping family.

"Steve… please tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

"Uh, Clint? I would like you to meet James Buchanan Barnes. I just call him Bucky. I, uh, I found him."

Of course he did what Clint thought he did. Because why wouldn't he?

"The Winter Soldier! You brought the Winter Soldier to my house?! My house with my wife, kids and the menagerie of animals they're accumulating?"

"There's more than just Lucky?" Sam asked, almost against his will. Clint and Steve both glared in his direction. Sam closed his mouth and stepped away.

"Look, I know its short notice and all… but HYDRA is looking for him. SHIELD is looking for him and so is the government. I needed somewhere safe and off the grid. Even when SHIELD got leaked around the world, there was nothing about your place."

"Seriously, Steve! You brought a Russian assassin to my home!"

"I'm right here," Barnes muttered, speaking for the first time since they showed up. Clint sighed. He didn't mean to freak out like that. He was just more than a little freaked out by their sudden appearance. Plus he knew exactly what the Winter Soldier was capable of. And he wasn't eager for that to happen to his family. Though, it would appear from the way he was hunching over as if trying to disappear into his own skin, Clint didn't think Barnes was too eager for that either. And now he felt like a jerk.

"This was a mistake," Barnes continued, shifting his gaze from the tips of his boots to Steve's scuffed sneakers. "I told you that this wasn't going to work. Why won't you just let me go, Stevie? I don't belong here. Just let me go."

Clint didn't need to look at Steve to know that the man's heart was breaking. Hell, Clint felt his heart breaking and he had no personal attachments to Barnes either way. He let out a sigh. He really did need to stop taking in strays. This was it. Barnes was the last stray he was taking in. Totally. Probably not.

"I never said you couldn't stay," Clint said, feigning a casual tone. It must have worked because suddenly both Steve and Barnes were looking at him with wide eyes. "Just next time you guys plan on bringing any of the world's most wanted around, call first. Besides you're lucky that Laura had a hunch some of you would be showing up tonight. Otherwise there wouldn't be enough cake for all of you."

"With Pietro around, I don't think there's going to be enough cake for us anyway," Sam quipped, earning an amused snort from Steve and Clint. Barnes' lips twitched like he wanted to smile. That was a win right there.

"Look, Clint. I just wanted to say thank you. You're right. I should've called and let know we were coming. I really appreciate that you're letting us stay regardless. I just needed somewhere safe and quiet."

"Well, it's definitely safe," Clint smirked. "I don't know about quiet so much."

Off the confused looks he was receiving, Clint smirked even more and went back to the front door. Even through his hearing aids, Clint could hear the faint echoes of a commotion of some sort. He didn't know what was happening but he knew that Pietro was at the center of it all. Because of course, he was. He opened the door only to find that Lucky and Eris were tussling on the floor. Or rather, Lucky was trying to shake the oddly strong and tenacious kitten off his back while also fending off the other two kittens that were attacking at their silver sister's behest. Pietro was loudly threatening Lucky and yelling at him to stop bothering his kitten. Clint needed to work on his perception of situations. Because he clearly wasn't working out who the instigator was in this scenario.

He glanced around the now crowded foyer to look at the rest of his family. Laura retreated back in the kitchen to feed Nate. Wanda was both rolling her eyes and watching her brother anxiously. Lila and Cooper were taking bets on who would be the most damaged before this was all over. The overwhelming consensus was that Pietro was going to cry before all of this was over and the kittens were probably the most badass things in the house. The fact that they looked at the three Avengers and former HYRDA assassin before making that comment proved they were his kids through and through. Why couldn't they be more like their mother?

Clint was about to break the fight up when he became aware of a wheezing sound. It wasn't any of the kids as Pietro was now sitting on the sidelines with Wanda halfheartedly comforting him. Lila and Cooper were still commenting on everything and Laura was still pretending like feeding the baby was something that required her to be completely away from the chaos that she was 50% responsible for. No, the odd wheezing sounds was coming from Barnes. The man was watching his children and pets act like complete idiots with wide eyes. His flesh hand was pressed against his lips as more and more of the strange wheezes slipped through. By this point, Steve was now standing close to him, trying to figure out what was happening. Clint knew though. It still didn't take away the fuzzy feeling he got when Barnes finally let go and gave into the bellyaching laughs that had been threatening to slip through since the second they walked into the house. Steve's entire face changed. The exhaustion was gone as he watched Bucky laugh so hard, he was wiping tears from his eyes.

"Yeah, so I guess those guys are staying," Clint commented to Sam. The other man snorted, still looking in the reunited friends' direction with a slight smile on his lips. "What about you, Wilson? You sticking around too?"

"Duh. I have to check on my godchildren."

"Spoken like a true godmother."

"Screw you, Barton!"

"Mommy?" Lila's voice cut through the madness. Laura poked her head around the corner. "I heard Uncle Sam say something strange. What does you 'screw you' mean?"

Laura's eyes narrowed as she focused on Sam. "It means that Mommy is going to have a very long talk with your Uncle Sam about what should and should not be said around innocent and impressionable children. And also Lila."

"Clint, help me," Sam whispered.

The archer shook his head. "Honey, you can kill Sam later. I want you to meet someone." He motioned for the still laughing Bucky to come forward. "Laura, this is James Barnes also known as Steve's Bucky."

"He's totally Steve's," Sam chimed in, clearly over his impending doom. Barnes and Steve both flushed but neither seemed in a rush to deny it. Clint pursed his lips thoughtful. Interesting.

Laura was also looking between the two reunited best friends. "It's a pleasure to meet you, James. You're welcome here as long as you need. Don't mind the children. I'm almost 60% certain they're not insane." Clint glanced at Laura. "Well, I know for sure Cooper and Nate aren't. The other three are your children." Wanda, Lila and Pietro protested. She sighed. "Okay, you're right. Wanda isn't crazy either. Any craziness is a direct result of her twin. The other two though. They're all yours."

"Betrayed by my own mother," Lila wailed, throwing her hand over her forehead and swooning onto her amused brother. Laura glared pointedly at Clint. He shrugged. He couldn't help it if their daughter took after him. Laura should just be happy that it was only Lila and Pietro. It could've been all of them. He kind of wished it was all of them. He was pretty damn awesome. Oh well, there was still hope with Nate.

"Do not corrupt my baby, Clint," Laura hissed. She reached for Barnes' hand. His metal hand. Because his wife was all about accepting people as they were. "Dinner is this way. I know you must be hungry."

Barnes looked hesitantly between Clint, Steve and Sam. All three nodded. Barnes let Laura take his hand and lead him into the living room with the kids and Sam following after them. Steve held Clint back for a moment.

"I just want… thank you," Steve said, almost breathlessly. "I know that this is a huge risk. But I've been with him for the past few days and he hasn't had any outbursts or violent episodes. He's been... almost like he used to be."

"He's got his memories?"

"Yeah, he remembers being Bucky."

"Not those memories."

Steve swallowed. "Yeah, Sam has been talking to him. He sometimes wakes up with bad dreams, he calls them memories and he can be a bit much… but he's pretty good at staying put. I figured he could just share a room with me or Sam or maybe we could sleep in the barn or something."

"Steve, I'm not worried about that," Clint rushed to assure his friend before the man talked himself out of staying there. "I'm worried about how he's dealing because he's been through some crazy horrible stuff for the past seventy years and he's your friend. You obviously care about him and so I care about him too. I'm not asking you about this stuff because I'm worried about him murdering my family in their sleep." Clint paused. "That's not a concern, right?"

"Right."

"Okay then. Let's grab dinner before the human garbage disposal in there eats it all."

"They look good, you know? The twins? They look like they're settling in."

Clint smiled as they lingered in the doorway briefly. Laura was chiding Pietro for bringing Eris to the dinner table while Wanda was feeding Lucky scraps under the table. He thought for a moment about the two punk kids they met in Sokovia. The angry, hurting, damaged kids that they were and allowed himself a moment of pride that they were no longer that way. And it was in large part thanks to him and his family. His family that they were a huge part of. He wasn't going to lie, it just about made his day anytime Wanda or Pietro slipped and called him Dad. He definitely melted a little when they called Laura Mom.

"Come on, Rogers. Let's eat," Clint declared, pushing Steve into the room. He naturally took the empty seat next to Barnes while Clint sat between Pietro and Lila. Clint admitted to being a little worried about whether dinner would be awkward but that was all for nothing. The kids and the twins accepted Bucky as part of the family with barely a blink of an eye and the usual lively dinner time banter continued. The kids talked about their day (and the girl Pietro had a crush on apparently) and Sam shared embarrassing stories about Steve from their days searching for Barnes. This prompted Barnes to chime in with embarrassing stories of Steve growing up. Clint wished Tony was here. Not just because he was isolated from the team and being maligned by the media all day every day but also because some of these stories were hilarious. Clint made a mental note to call Tony later and tell him about the time pre-serum Steve thought it was a good idea to pick a fight with a guy two times his size in a movie theater. And he called them reckless.

The conversation came to an abrupt halt, however, when the kitten that was previously content to ignore them all suddenly appeared and decided that Barnes' lap was as good a place as any to hang out. Barnes' eyes widened in obvious surprise and silence fell over the table as they all waited to see what would happen. He lowered his fork to his plate and tentatively placed his hand on the kitten's soft black head. It mewled in happiness before purring loudly. Barnes looked to Steve. The good captain shrugged before looking to Clint. The archer snorted. Didn't it figure? No one wonder she didn't want one of the kids. She must've known in her heart.

"Guess she's yours."

"Really?" Barnes questioned, though he kept petting the purring kitten. "I just met you like five minutes ago and you're going to give me a cat? What would I even do with a cat?"

"Yeah, think of her as a therapy cat," Sam offered. "Pets can be an effective form of therapy, especially when recovering from trauma."

Barnes glanced down at the cat for several long moments. Then a soft smile stole across his face. He picked his fork up and that was that. The fuzzy black kitten was officially the pet/owner of the former Winter Soldier. Clint found himself smiling as well. That is until he noticed the expression on Steve's face.

The man didn't just look delighted. He looked like his whole world began and ended with the man sitting beside him balancing a fork in his metallic hand while the other idly toyed with the kitten's soft fur. Clint liked Steve. Hell, Clint admired the hell out of Steve and trusted him without a thought. But he worried about Steve. Because even with the friendships he built with the team, especially Sam and Natasha, Steve seemed lost. And that was before he found out about Barnes being the Winter Soldier. After that, it was like he had one purpose in life and nothing save for a robotic army attempting to destroy humanity could knock him off that course. And now he found him and he looked settled. He looked happy for the first time since any of them could remember.

Clint often wondered about Steve's single-minded devotion to bringing Barnes back from the brink. He knew that he would do the same for Natasha but there was often a desperation that went further than that of a friend. He pursed his lips. No way. There was no possible way… except maybe there was. Maybe Steve Rogers didn't have a thing for James Barnes back in the day but he kind of definitely had a thing now. He was about three minutes away from drawing their initials in hearts and planning their dream wedding. Clint bit his lip to keep a laugh from bubbling out. Good for them. Even if there was nothing there (there so was. Wanda kept giving them these little looks every now and then), Clint was still happy that after everything they found each other again. Still, he was pretty sure that the radio serials and history books never picked up on that. Man, he couldn't wait to tell Phil… He closed his eyes. Almost four years later and he still had to remind himself that Phil was gone. He was gone and it was still his fault.

"I just don't understand why the new guy gets to keep his kitten at the dinner table and I don't. Isn't there some kind of seniority rights or something?" Pietro's voice cut through the self-deprecating shame cycle Clint was about to enter. He was about to reply to that when he noticed the smug grin playing across Pietro's face and the telltale glances that Wanda was throwing between the pair. Wanda must have sensed the shift in his mood as she was also sporting the same smug grin.

Clint sighed. This family thing was alright. Still, it wouldn't do to let them think they could get away with being total brats. So he did what any responsible part-time superhero archer and full time father would do. He launched a forkful of lasagna at the twins and instigated the largest food fight in Barton history. It only ended when they all seemed to remember that Barnes was also a sniper and used him against Clint.

"Dude, no! Snipers stick together! We're supposed to be sniper bros!"

"Sniper bros?" Barnes repeated slowly. "Is that an actual thing?"

"It could be."

Barnes tilted his head to the side before nodding. "Okay then. We're sniper bros." Lila cleared her throat pointedly. Barnes raised an eyebrow. "I guess girls can be bros too." She grinned evilly.

And that was the story of how the Sniper Bros (and sis) were formed. It's also the story of how James Barnes found a family and a home. But Clint liked the origin of the Sniper Bros better. Way less sappy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More changes coming up for the Barton/Avengers clan. Next chapter is going to bring them all back together for a bit as well as bring in some new characters. This story is taking on a whole life of its own. It initially was envisioned to be a home for fluffy Barton clan stories but then it started getting a plot. Don't get me wrong, there will be fluff. But there's an actual plot incorporating elements from the Civil War storyline though it definitely won't get nearly as dark (most likely not) or divisive (definitely not). Anyway, that's enough of my blabbering. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	7. It's All Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lot happens, some people have secrets (some less obvious than the others) and the government issues an ultimatum of sorts.

"Will you stop fidgeting with that arm already? It's bad enough you insist on dressing like a hobo, there's no need to make people think you're a crack addicted hobo," Sam hissed as Bucky shifted uneasily, flesh fingers idly pressing against the metal plates of his hoodie covered left arm for what had to be the tenth time in the span of five minutes.

The former HYDRA assassin leveled Sam with the best glare he could but it bounced off the other man. Bucky would write it off as a one off thing except his glare seemed less than effective with pretty much everyone he came into contact with these days. That glare used to make people fear for their lives. He once had a Columbian drug lord begging on his knees under the force of that glare alone. Now… now he couldn't even scare a seven year old girl. Not that he actually wanted to scare said seven year old girl or really anyone else living on the Barton farm.

Despite the fact that he shouldn't even be allowed within a five mile radius of children, or people in general, Bucky found that he enjoyed living on the farm. He enjoyed spending time with the Barton children. At first, he thought Steve was out of his mind for even thinking about bringing him there but even he had to admit that it was helping. The whole family was helping him to slowly rebuild himself. Each of them had their own roles in fixing the wreck that HYDRA left Bucky. Laura was soothing. Her entire presence seemed designed to get people to relax even when they were at their most anxious. She was always there with a warm smile, a comforting hand on his shoulder (always the metal side) and occasionally cookies. Clint, on the other hand, was able to relate to him. The archer told him about Loki and the death of his mentor, Phil, at the hands of Loki with assistance from Clint. They bonded over their mutual loss of control and the fact that they were both snipers. It helped having someone around who understood the need to shoot things after waking up in a panic. Yeah, they were definitely Sniper Bros.

Even their children helped to pull him out of his shell of self-loathing, emo and despair. Bucky was going to get Sam the copyright to that particular phrase since he used that to describe the former assassin all the damn time. But at any rate, the Barton kids, like their parents and Steve, didn't know when it was better to just give up and find some other less rabid person to dote on. Cooper would sit with him when the past got too much to bear and he just couldn't handle talking. He never spoke when Bucky got into those moods. Cooper would simply sit there, a silent reminder that Bucky wasn't under HYDRA control anymore. He was free. Bucky was deeply grateful for the silent Cooper. The kid radiated eternal calm. Not unlike his mother.

His sister, on the other hand, was a joyfully happy little chatterbox. Bucky really didn't understand which one of her parents she picked that up from. But he couldn't deny that the little girl was mischievous in all the right ways and amusing as all hell. He didn't remember being a huge fan of kids in his pre Winter Soldier days but he found that he was a fan of the Barton kids and their infectiously happy moods. That's the only way he could explain the previous day spent huddled on the roof of the barn, shooting anyone that dared venture out of the house with a paintball gun. Naturally this meant that Wanda, Laura, Cooper and Nate stayed indoors most of the day. Steve only left the safety of the house to try and reason with them. He didn't make it past the front porch before Bucky was cheerfully shooting him with the red, white and blue paint Lila set aside specifically for her beloved Uncle Steve. The madness only continued to escalate when Sam and Clint decided to get revenge using the Falcon wings and Clint's ability to accurately hit a target no matter the situation. Also when the hell did that jerk find the time to make paint tipped arrows?!

Being hosed down in the yard because Laura refused to let the paint covered Steve, Pietro, Bucky, Clint, Sam and Lila (yes, Clint shot his own daughter. Yes, Lila shot back) into the house until they were clean should've been one of the lower points of this new life he's built for himself. But even as Cooper filmed the so called mighty Avengers being power washed with a garden hose that Tony Stark clearly designed, Bucky couldn't help but laugh. It was embarrassing and juvenile but it was fun because he chose to participate. He chose to follow the lead of a mischievous seven year old girl. Just as he was currently choosing to follow the lead of a revenge minded eighteen year old girl.

"Remind me again why didn't bring Steve with us?" Sam asked, as he leaned against the school building with his shoulder brushing against Bucky's left arm. He noticed that all had a tendency to touch him there. It was a way of demonstrating casual acceptance. It was both weird and comforting. He liked knowing that they weren't scared of it. That they… wait, did Sam really suggest they bring Steve? Bucky raised an eyebrow, glancing over at his friend. Whoa, they were actually friends! Huh. Anyway, there were several reasons why they didn't Steve along on this mission (not mission… operation. Wait, no. Not better). There was one very excellent, very much not Sam's business reason, but Bucky was going to go with the most obvious.

"We're confronting a bully, Wilson. Steve Rogers is the last person you want tagging along when it comes to bullies. The kid might be a jerk who's built like a mini football player but he's also only in the seventh grade. He definitely doesn't need to participate in the Rogers Bully Prevention through Extreme Violence and Force program. We just want to scare him a little, not scar him for life. Steve tends to lose perspective when it comes to people being bullied or harassed. He tends to go to certain extremes when it's happening to his friends."

"We talking about the same Steve Rogers here? Captain America? The paragon for American ideals? The same Steve Rogers that yells out 'language' any time Tony opens his mouth? That guy?"

Bucky snorted. "We're talking about the same Steve Rogers that lets you guys believe he's some delicate little flower when really he curses more than I do. He's also the same Steve Rogers that went on a solo suicide mission, burning an entire HYRDA facility to the ground, on the off chance that I, or someone else from the 107th, was still alive. The very same Steve Rogers that loves to run up beside you and scream 'on your left' for no reason other than it makes him laugh."

Sam gave him a pointed glare, no doubt remembering just that morning where Bucky finally joined them on a jog around the farm. He spent the majority of the run yelling 'on your right' because it made Steve smile and his best friend needed more reasons to smile. Even if it was at Sam's expense. Don't get Bucky wrong, he really did like Sam. But he also liked riling him up too.

"He is kind of a little shit, isn't he?"

"Oh, yeah. He was born that way. Seventy years just made him worse and gave him more to work with," Bucky laughed, remembering just how many times that sense of humor combined with Steve's mouth got them in trouble growing up. Steve had definitely come a long way from that mouthy little kid from Brooklyn. Then again…. Bucky flexed his left hand absently. Sam nudged him on the side gently. Bucky gave him a sheepish smile.

"Right, so I get why Steve isn't here. But what about Clint? These are his kids."

"Clint does not understand the meaning of the word restraint when it comes to his children. He'd be in here raising hell. Probably with arrows… no, wait, definitely with arrows."

"Laura?" Sam suggested.

"I feel like she would be worse. I mean we know Lila got her ridiculously good aim from her dad but that devious mind… I feel like that there is more to Laura than the comforting side she shows." Sam snorted in agreement. "She's got to be hiding a twisted side. I mean she married Clint Barton willingly."

"Is this commonly the part where we say that we're telling?"

Bucky was glad that he wasn't the only one that jumped at the sound of Wanda's voice. He glanced over Sam's shoulder to see the twins standing beside the man. He never even heard them coming. Either Wanda was just that scary silent or…

"I thought your parents said no powers in public," Sam chided, though the grin playing across his lips as he ruffled Pietro's hair totally ruined the effect he was going for.

"We had to sneak out of class," Wanda explained with a small shrug. "They should be at recess soon. We will catch this bully in the act."

"Still not sure why you needed the two of us," Sam said. "You guys are pretty intimidating on your own."

"Yeah, you been taking lessons from Natalia?" Bucky drawled. Wanda brightened visibly at the comparison to the Black Widow. Bucky counted it as a good moment that he didn't want to crawl into a little ball in cry at the mention of Natasha and her Red Room years. He didn't realize that the Asset was also a trainer at the Red Room until she came for a visit earlier in the week. That had been one uncomfortable conversation. But they were better now. Still, Bucky was just glad that he didn't know the twins too. He couldn't take having a nefarious HYRDA influenced connection to yet another Avenger. Steve and Natasha was enough.

"We need you because Cooper refuses to let us do anything. Anytime we try to intervene, he pulls Laura's disapproving face and makes us stop," Pietro answered, pouting slightly. "I could have the kid halfway to Mexico before recess was even over. But apparently Cooper thinks that's 'excessive'. Whatever that's supposed to mean."

"It means it's a bit excessive," Sam pointed out. "I mean he's just a kid. A jerk but still a kid. Besides what did Mexico ever do to you to deserve that?"

Any response the twins could've made (though they probably wouldn't) was lost as the bell rang signaling the beginning of recess. The doors to the school flew open as kids poured out of the building. Bucky watched them as they ran past their mini huddle without a care in the world. Then again, none of those kids had any idea they were passing by three Avengers and the Winter Soldier. Oh, to be young again. They waited in silence for the kids to settle into their usual recess activities. Pietro stood up straight abruptly, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

"There he is," Pietro murmured. Bucky snapped his head in the direction the teen was staring in and promptly felt the urge to sigh. Seriously? Their target (he really needed to stop thinking in mission speak) was in the process of harassing a highly annoyed looking Cooper. The oldest of Barton's spawn was trying to block out the kid's increasingly more cruel taunts. Beside him on the bench was Lila. She was clenching her fists and chewing on her lip, all in the effort at not lashing out at her brother's bully.

Bucky had to give the Barton kids (both natural and adopted) credit for one thing: they stuck together. Even now, Wanda and Pietro were both looking like this kid was one wrong move from finding out how terrifying miracles could actually be. But the twins were supposed to be blending in, not drawing even more attention to people with powers. That's what they had uncles for. Bucky grinned darkly. He could get used to this uncle thing. He didn't need to look at Sam to know there was a similar expression on his face. Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun.

"Hey!" Lila's voice cut across the yard. She was standing up now. Cooper was on the ground, fumbling with his books. His soon to be late tormentor was towering over him with all the superiority a boy who felt he was in power could muster. "Back off, Pillsbury Doughboy!"

"Make me, little girl," the idiot kid continued to taunt. He was totally ignorant of the seething mass of muscles and well trained vengeance slinking up behind him. "Hey, Cooper. You must be real proud, having your little sister fighting your battles for you."

"I am actually," Cooper retorted. He made eye contact with Bucky and shrugged. "But she's not actually the one you need to be worried about."

"Huh?" Doughboy muttered before turning around to face Bucky, Sam and Wanda. Pietro took advantage of his distraction to zip to Cooper's side. He helped his younger brother pick up his belongings before scooping Lila into his arms. It was both a gesture to comfort and one to restrain. Because seriously, those Barton kids had a temper on them. Doughboy blinked in Sam and Bucky's direction before glancing at the twins then to Cooper and finally back to Sam and Bucky. "Who… the… who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Jack, you know my older sister, Wanda," Cooper introduced, cheerfully. "Those two are my uncles. They're going to be staying with us for a while."

Doughboy stared up at Bucky and Sam with wide eyes. The life of a playground bully was very simple. There was only one rule. The bully was king of all things smaller than them. But that was the problem. Because there was almost always going to be someone bigger waiting to usurp your self-proclaimed throne. Really, they were doing Doughboy a favor right now by teaching him his place in the hierarchy of bullydom. Bucky leaned down so he could better look the kid in the eye. He grinned. He knew it was an ugly, scary thing. Bucky knew because the kid was already trembling. His smirk grew wider.

"So I hear you've been disrespectful to our niece and nephew here," Bucky said, smiling with sharp teeth showing. "That makes us very unhappy."

"Very," Sam echoed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at the shaken kid.

"And as a friend of ours is fond of saying, you won't like us when we're angry," Bucky continued. He reached forward with exaggerated calm to pluck the can of soda the kid was holding with his metal hand. He paused long enough for the kid to see just how real it was before he dumped the contents of the can on the ground. He then closed his hand, crushing the can into a small compact ball within his metal grip. He then tossed the destroyed can in the garbage behind him without even glancing in that direction. "I think you know where this is headed, right?"

Doughboy nodded, shakily. Sam grinned, kneeling down to look the scared kid in the eyes. "That's your only warning. Anyone with the last name Barton is off limits to you and your friends. So spread the word. And if I find out that you've been mean to either Cooper or Lila, we're going to come back and talk some more."

"Yeah, talk," Bucky drawled. "Now do you have something to say to Cooper?"

Doughboy turned around to face Cooper. "I… I'm sorry. I… sorry!"

With that said, he edged away from the group and ran as fast as his legs could take him. Which was pretty damn fast. Those skinny little legs were good for something. Speaking of skinny legs….

"Lila, why do you call him Doughboy? Not to body shame or whatever the hell you people talk about these days but he's not fat or anything."

"Yeah, well you know the Pillsbury Doughboy? Like how he giggles when you poke him in the stomach?" they all nodded. "Jack cries when you punch him in the stomach."

Pietro's brow furrowed. "How do you know that?"

"Why do you think he started harassing me in the first place?" Cooper asked, narrowing his eyes at his little sister. "In his mind, it was more socially acceptable for him to pick on me rather than a seven year old girl who can and will punch you at random."

A stunned silence fell over the group before Sam cracked it by snickering. Wanda gaped in his direction for all of a second before she too was giggling. Pietro smiled and kissed Lila on the forehead, letting her jump down afterwards. She walked away to lean up against a tree. Bucky kept an eye on his giggling friends and the smirking child. It was the smirk she wore when she knew something other people didn't know. The fact that Bucky knew the meaning behind that particular smirk after only knowing her for two weeks spoke volumes of just how attached he was to these people already. He was slowly starting not to mind.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Lila asked, looking up at something in the tree. Correction, make that someone. The laughter stopped abruptly as that someone shifted before jumping down from the tree and scooping Lila up with a familiar laugh.

"Earth's Mightiest Heroes harassing a little boy," Clint teased. "Jonah Jameson would have a field day with this one."

"We haven't been Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a while. Especially when it comes to Jameson," Sam corrected. "But we're always going to be Avengers. We're all about that avenging stuff."

"I'm not actually an Avenger," Bucky pointed out. He was met with six blank stares. He rolled his eyes. Whatever. He wasn't an Avenger despite whatever the hell Steve, Sam, Clint and Natasha thought. Who the hell thought letting a former Russian assassin join a superhero team was a good idea? He paused. Probably the same idiot that brought in one former Russian assassin and has offered his home to two former Russian assassins. Clint was kind of a hypocrite. A well-meaning, good intentioned hypocrite. God, he reminded Bucky so much of Steve.

"How'd you know we were coming here today anyway?"

"Seriously?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow. "You guys are the least discreet humans I've ever seen. I knew what you were planning and I just figured I'd tag along to watch the madness unfold. And it was a good show too. I really enjoyed the part where he almost peed himself watching Bucky crush the can."

Bucky snorted even as Sam shook his head. "You're a grown man with children, Barton. You're supposed to be a role model for us younglings."

Clint arched an eyebrow. "What younglings? You've met Lila, right? She's pretty much corrupted at this point. We just hope for the best and make sure she doesn't have any serious political ambition. On that note, honey?"

"Nope, daddy."

"Good job," Clint kissed her on the forehead. "Cooper has been around me since birth. If he hasn't been corrupted yet, he's good."

"I'm good," Cooper echoed.

"And when it comes to the twins, well… they tried to kill us all. So basically anything at this point that doesn't involve murdering us is pretty much acceptable behavior," Clint said with a shrug. Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances before nodding in unison. "As for my brother in sniping arms over here, he may be younger physically but he's approaching the centenarian years. I refuse to let him claim he's younger than me. And Sam, you have at least a year on me. Maybe two. No, I definitely think it might be two."

"You're younger than Sam?!" Pietro asked, wariness creeping into his voice. He narrowed his eyes looking between Sam and Clint suspiciously. "If you're older than the old man that must mean that you're….."

"I swear I will hurt you, Speedy Gonzalez," Sam promised.

"Super old! Like a billion!"

Sam sighed heavily as Pietro was gone in a blur. Bucky bit on his lip to hide the smile growing there. He glanced out the corner of his eye to see Cooper was the only one managing not to laugh on the outside. That kid was like the center of all calm. Bucky envied him.

"I will have you know that I am only thirty five! That is not old! That's definitely not super old!" Sam continued to grumble even as he headed back to the car. "Y'all going make me unleash the Falcon up in here!"

Bucky tilted his head towards Clint. "I should probably catch up with him."

"Yeah, he's super old. He might need help remembering where you left the car," Clint replied with a perfectly constructed façade of innocence.

Bucky laughed, relishing in the simple fact that he could. That it was his choice to laugh and be happy. That he wasn't just the Asset. He was once again James Buchanan Barnes. He was uncle to five really great kids. He was free.

"Oh, and don't forget, Barnes. We're going out tonight. No excuses."

Bucky frowned. "And by we, you mean…."

"You, me, Sam and Cap," Clint replied, arching an eyebrow. "I don't suppose that's going to be a problem… is it?"

Bucky carefully schooled his features into a blank mask. It spoke wonders to how much time Clint and Natasha spent together that the archer was able to see through that in a heartbeat. Bucky sighed. It wasn't the going out part that bothered him. He's been making progress throughout his time on the farm. This trip to the school was one of several he's taken away from the safety that was the Barton farm. But there was one common factor… Steve never went with him. It wasn't that he was avoiding his best friend… it was just that he was avoiding his best friend.

Since the first night they spent on the farm, Bucky had been going out of his way to find things to do that didn't involve Steve. He knew that it was confusing for Steve, and maybe a little hurtful but Bucky needed the space so that he could think. His memories were returning (both the good and the bad) but he was missing something. His memories told him that Steve was in love with Peggy Carter. His memories told him that he and Steve were just friends. But his heart, that beat a little too fast when Steve walked by, that lifted up just catching sight of those familiar blues eyes from across the room… that was telling him something completely different. He knew these feelings weren't new. There wasn't a whole lot of time for him to fall in love with the guy he was initially trying to kill and then actively trying to avoid. So apparently Bucky had always loved his well-meaning shit of a best friend and Steve apparently didn't feel the same way about him and Bucky really, really wanted him to but he didn't and….

"Hey!" Clint's voice cut through his internal flailing. He snapped his head up to meet the archer's gaze. The kids were gone. It took Bucky a moment to realize that recess was long over. Sam was hovering in the background, clearly letting Clint handle this moment. "You with us?"

"Yeah," Bucky sighed. "Maybe us going out isn't such a great idea."

"You mean us going with Steve? Because we're already out. And it wasn't until I said Steve was going out with us tonight that it became a problem."

Bucky shrugged. He had nothing to say to that. Clint was right. But he couldn't be around Steve these days. Steve who was beautiful and patient and exactly what Bucky has been missing for all the years he spent being erased and placed in ice. And he hated that he was letting a stupid crush get in the way of that. Especially because it was hurting Steve. And Bucky would rather go back on ice than willingly hurt Steve. He let out a shaky breath.

"Yeah, we're going out tonight," he finally said, looking to both Sam and Clint. "It's going to be fun."

"Now try saying that while looking a little less like you want to jump off the nearest cliff and we might actually believe you," Clint smirked. Bucky gave him a weak smile before being shoved in Sam's direction. "It's going to be okay, Buck. I promise."

Bucky nodded. He trusted Clint. He wasn't sure why but he did. From the minute he met the archer, he knew that the man was someone he could trust. They were Sniper Bros. And if Clint said this was going to be okay, then maybe it would be. At any rate, all these mental circles were starting to give him a headache. So he let Sam steer him back towards the car, idly listening to all the ways in which thirty five seriously wasn't that old. Seriously.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Clint stuck around the school campus for the rest of the day. It was only a few short hours and he figured he'd give his kids a ride home. Not to mention he was wanted make sure there was no fall out from Bucky and Sam's intervention. He was really mad that he didn't pick up on what was going on with Cooper to begin with. If Lila was like Clint, Cooper was too much like Laura. He kept his hurting on the inside and didn't show it for the world. It took Clint entirely too long to figure it out and then too long to come up with a plan. Thankfully, Cooper's "uncles" had it under control. He really doubted Jack would be messing with Cooper any time soon. Yeah, he totally knew it was a good idea to bring in another former Russian assassin. Okay, a few hours and a fuzzy black kitten affectionately named Nyx later, Clint realized it was a good idea to bring in another former Russian assassin. But in the two weeks he had been part of the family, Bucky grew on Clint. He liked the guy and was glad to see him fitting him with the kids.

Speaking of the kids, Clint startled as the bell rang signaling the end of the day. He saw Jack creeping out of the building, keeping an eye out for anyone with a metal arm. Clint smirked. The kid didn't even know about Sam's wings. But soon Jack was gone and he was focused on his four. He didn't have long to wait as he spotted them. Wanda let out a heavy sigh of relief as she caught sight of him leaning against the truck. Lila and Cooper were both sporting looks of irritation and frustration. Pietro was walking. That was room for concern. He wasn't bouncing up and down. He wasn't jogging ahead of the kids. He was actually dragging his feet walking behind them. He glanced at his watch and then back to his annoyed (and moping) children.

"It's barely been three hours since I last saw you. What the hell happened now?"

"Life as I know it is over!" Pietro wailed, flopping into the flatbed part of the truck with dramatic flourish. He closed his eyes as he sprawled into a position that allowed room for the rest of the kids. "The love of my life is leaving me. Life is ruined. There's nothing left for me."

"Uh…. Wanda? Translation?"

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Crystal broke the news that's moving. Apparently, she and her… guardians are leaving tonight. It seems as though they're looking for something and they didn't find it here. I tried to touch her mind but it was too chaotic. I only got that they were looking for something about Medusa and the afterlife."

"Sounds like a cult to me," Cooper chimed in, not at all helpfully.

"She's not in a cult!" Pietro hissed in the younger boy's direction. Cooper blinked even as he settled down beside the mourning speedster. Pietro cracked an eye open, glancing in the boy's direction. He sighed at the look on Cooper's face. "Okay, there is a very real possibility that she could be in a cult. But whatever! She's the first girl I've ever loved and she's leaving me and life sucks!"

Clint bit on his lip to hold back the laugh. All he ever wanted for Wanda and Pietro was for them to put aside the tragedies that led to HYDRA experimenting on them. He just wanted them to be the kids they truly were on the inside. And as he settled in the driver's seat listening to Pietro's constant stream of whining echoed by Wanda's quiet muttering about her idiotic twin, Clint realized he got exactly what he wanted. And it was a beautiful thing.

Pietro didn't stop telling them all about his lost love during the entire car ride. He was in the middle of explaining how they were star-crossed lovers, meant to be together forever when Clint finally pulled into the driveway. It was apparently just in time as Cooper, Wanda and Lila scrambled out of the truck so fast, he could swear they would give Pietro a run for his money. They sped past Steve who was in the yard chopping wood, again, and straight into the house. They paused only to greet an utterly bewildered and amused Laura and grab Nate. He heard Wanda loudly declaring that they didn't want to expose Nate to the walking tragedy that was Pietro. His kids had a way with words.

"Who lit the fire under them?" Laura asked, coming to stand beside her husband. He smiled softly before pressing a kiss against her forehead. She started to smile before she shifted her head to look at Pietro. The speedster was still sprawled in the truck and didn't seem to be moving. "Should I even ask?"

"You can but first… what's going on with Steve? He knows that we now have enough wood to get through every winter until Nate is well into his thirties right?"

"He's got boy problems," Laura stage whispered. Clint snorted. "Let me guess, this one's got girl problems?" she paused, leaning over to peer at the clearly listening Pietro. "Unless you have boy problems as well. This is a judgment free zone and we love you either way."

"I'm not gay," Pietro grumbled.

"Of course you're not, honey," Laura patted him on the hair, earning a weak glare. She tilted her head towards Steve ignoring their son's pain. "So which one do you want to handle? The girl or the boy problems?"

"Let's see… the actual star-crossed duo who have finally found each other again after seventy years apart or the hyperactive drama queen who is suffering through his first crush?"

Laura hummed. "You're right. I'll take Pietro."

"Always the easy way with you," he teased, leaning in for a kiss.

"You know me, darling," she murmured, stealing one more kiss before moving to coax their son out of the truck.

He was making light of it but Clint knew the kid was seriously hurting. Pietro was hooked on this girl. Clint was all too familiar with that feeling. He had more than a few intense crushes throughout his life. Fortunately, one of those crushes paid off and he had five kids, three (okay, really it was two. Nyx was definitely all Bucky's) kittens and a dog to show for it. This was Pietro's first crush but it wouldn't be his last. The kid would move on… someday. But for right now, he was going to milk the sympathy and pity he was getting from Laura for all that its worth. Good on him. At least the brat learned something from Clint. But as much as he did sympathize with Pietro, he still knew that Laura had the easy job. With a sigh, Clint strolled over to where Steve was taming his growing life frustrations though the act of chopping wood. There were so many metaphors he could make about this but he held back. Instead, he led with…

"So how long after he fell did it take you to realize that you were in love with him?"

Steve's rhythm faltered but to his credit, he didn't do a double take or try to deny it. Instead he set the axe down after he finished the small pile beside him and sighed.

"The second I heard the metal rip from the side of the train and watched helplessly as he fell away from me to what I thought what his death," Steve answered quietly. A faint smile played across his lips but it wasn't one of happiness. Clint felt like he just kicked a puppy. A giant, blonde puppy. "I never really put a label on what I felt for Bucky. You have to understand, it was a different time then. What I felt… feel for him… I couldn't exactly share that with anyone. Not even Bucky. Especially Bucky. I just took for granted that he would always be there. And then he wasn't." He swallowed. "How long have you known?"

"Really, I only figured it out the first night you brought him home. So about two weeks. Although the fact that you crashed a plane into the ocean a few days after your best friend died was kind of an indication that there was some definite more than friends stuff going on there. I mean I love Nat to death and I don't know what I would do if something happened to her but I do know that it's definitely not crash a plane into the ocean without an escape route."

Steve laughed. It was a painful sounding thing but there was a genuine smile playing across his lips. Clint clapped him on the shoulder.

"Cap, these days what you feel for Bucky isn't something you have to hide anymore. But I'm glad that you shared it with me," Clint said, earning another brighter smile from Steve. "But what I'm really confused about is why you're not sharing it with Bucky. This is your second chance. This is your chance to act on those feelings you've had all along."

"I can't do that to him… he's still healing."

"Steve, I'm going to be blunt with you. That's bullshit." Steve grunted but made no complaints about language. Ha. Tony owed him fifty bucks. Clint told him Steve only did that stuff to troll them. "After everything with Loki, I needed something to focus on. And I had that. I had Laura and the kids. Bucky isn't broken. He's damaged but not broken. Because he came back for you, Steve. He knew you and he let you find him."

Steve chewed on his lip, clearly lost in thought. Finally, he let out a soft sigh. "You really think that he would want to… with me?"

Clint blinked. "Uh, Steve? You do look in a mirror, right? You're aware of the fact that you're incredibly attractive, correct? Because if you're not, please note that the only reason my wife hasn't stopped you from single handedly stocking our woodshed for the next hundred years is because she really enjoys watching you chop wood. She's thinking about charging some of the neighbors. She's pretty sure can fund Cooper and at least part of Lila's college funds through ticket sales alone." Steve flushed, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're quite the catch, Steve Rogers. But I have a feeling that Bucky doesn't care about all of this. I have a feeling he liked the scrawny ninety pound kid from Brooklyn just as much as he likes the imagined paragon for American ideals."

Steve laughed softly. His gaze flickered briefly towards the house, specifically to the rooms that Steve, Bucky and Sam were using. Clint turned his head as well and was able to make out the Bucky and Sam's shadows walking around the room. He had no idea what was supposed to be happening but judging from Sam's increasingly more indignant hand gestures and the amount of clothing Bucky was tossing in the older man's direction, it wasn't good. Clint arched an eyebrow looking at Steve.

"Should I even ask?"

"I'm not entirely sure. After they got back from wherever they went," Steve gave Clint a pointed look. The archer smirked. "Anyway, after they got back from that, Sam was complaining about not being old. Bucky was laughing. And then Sam said he still dressed like a drug addicted hobo and couldn't go out like that tonight. Bucky seemed okay with that but as you can see…. Sam got his way."

Clint glanced back at the window with more understanding of the scene unfolding upstairs. He grinned as Bucky tossed one of the hoodies Darcy and Natasha bought him during their last visit in Sam's direction. Sam tripped over the pile of clothes accumulating on the floor, blinded by the hoodie wrapped around his head. Bucky took advantage of his distraction and attempted to make a run for the door. It was a futile attempt that was interrupted by Wanda and Lila. They took one look at the no doubt horrible mess in the guest room and immediately joined the madness. Clint shook his head in something resembling regret and happiness that it wasn't him. He knew Steve was sporting a similar expression on his own face. But he knew that Steve's expression held a certain fondness that Clint could never match not even with the way the other sniper had grown on him in the past two weeks.

Clint patted the soldier on the shoulder. "Talk to him, Cap. We don't get a lot of second chances in this life. Sometimes you need to stop thinking and just act."

Steve nodded, clearly lost in thought. Seemed like a trend with these super soldiers. Clint really hoped that Steve gave it careful consideration. Not just because Clint was a huge believer in true love or any of that. But mostly because Steve and Bucky deserved to be happy. Clint didn't really know Bucky all that well but he did know Steve. He knew that Steve was never as happy as he was whenever Bucky was around. His whole face lit up whenever Bucky did something as simple as express a wish for more eggs at breakfast. Clint wanted Steve to be that level of happy all the time. Bucky wasn't the only one healing. Steve was too and a big part of that healing was wrapped up in his very layered and complex relationship with Bucky. They would figure it out. Eventually. And if they didn't…. well, that's what they had family for.  
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Love sucked. It was a cruel and fickle beast. One minute, he was happy and imagining a life with this girl and the next she was gone. And she took his dreams of their daughter and dog with them. It was probably for the best. He had superpowers. That probably wasn't something she was going to want to live with for very long anyway. It was probably for the best that she left when she did. At least this way, her leaving was a result of horrifically bad timing and not because she was disgusted by him and what he could do. Love was stupid and Pietro was a hundred percent over it. It was stupid of him to even try. Because who could ever love someone like him? Well, besides Wanda and that was only because they were twins. No one else had to suffer through that. No one else would want to suffer through that.

"Hey," a voice jarred him out of his maudlin thoughts. He looked up to meet Clint's eyes. The man was standing over the sofa he was sprawled on with a bowl of something in one hand and a smile on his face. "Ice cream," he said, passing the bowl over. "It's good for what ails you. Or at the very least makes you feel less horrible on the inside."

"Is junk food always the answer to your problems?" Pietro asked, even as he sat up, earning an irritated mewl from Eris who was sleeping by his thigh. The kitten meowed and climbed up onto his lap as Pietro finally accepted the ice cream. It was his favorite too. He glanced up into the concerned eyes of the Avengers' resident archer. There was a time when that's all Clint was to him. He wasn't anyone important. Someone who in his way. He had no qualms about letting him almost die when they first met. And now the thought of something like that happening to Clint made his chest hurt. The thought that Clint could've bled out in the snowy fields of Sokovia before Pietro even got to know him… that he wouldn't be here feeding him ice cream. It was all….

"Pietro?" Laura's voice cut through his impending panic attack, moving beside her husband with brown eyes narrowed in concern. She brushed her hand over his forehead and he felt the panic ebbing away leaving only the earlier lingering sadness and loneliness. Laura pressed a kiss against his forehead. "I know it hurts a lot right now, sweetheart. But I promise you it does get better."

"How do you know?"

"Because sometimes you have to lose the person you love to find them," Clint answered, eyes darting towards Laura briefly. "We don't always get second chances in our lives but when you do, you have to grab it and never let go. You also have to be open to it. You can't let your doubts and/or self-loathing ruin it before you can even try."

"So you're saying that it's a good thing that I lost Crystal?" Pietro muttered skeptically. Clint shrugged, letting his eyes drift towards the front door where Sam, Steve and Bucky were quietly waiting. Pietro also let his gaze wander in their direction.

Sam was texting on his phone with a soft smile playing across his face. Pietro had no idea who was on the other side of that connection but he felt happy seeing that smile on Sam. Steve and Bucky, on the other hand, were too far into each other's space to be entirely casual and yet were trying for all the world to look like they were. Every now and then, one of them would glance at the other and the same soft smile Sam sported would steal across their lips before they blushed and looked away. Again, Pietro felt the same fluttering feeling of happy and content. He liked the Captain. Steve was the first of the Avengers to accept them and he did so without question. It was good to see this lighter, happier side of the Captain. And it was because he found the one that got away against all odds…. Oh.

"I think I get it," Pietro murmured

"Love is weird. Sometimes we don't understand what it's trying to say or who is trying to get us to see. And sometimes it takes a while to get the message," Laura said, looking pointedly at Clint. Her husband gave her an innocent but not fooling anyone smile. "Sometimes it takes seventy years. But when it happens, it's great."

"And it also doesn't have to be romantic either," Clint pointed out. "Wanda isn't the only one that loves you around here."

Pietro glanced at the bowl of ice cream in his hand and then to the kitten lying peacefully on his leg. The television was on in the background, forgotten in the midst of his depressing thoughts but he now realized was playing one of his favorite programs. Yeah, Wanda probably wasn't the only one who loved him around here.

"Now he gets it!" Clint cheered, bopping the speedster on the head before dodging a smack from Laura. "I'll see you guys later. Call me if you need anything." He was almost to the door when he turned to Laura. "We're not expecting anyone, right?"

She pursed her lips in thought. "No, no one I can think of. We're good. Go, enjoy your night out with the boys."

"Will do!"

"We promise we'll return him in one piece," Steve said, seriously. Bucky smirked.

"I don't know, Stevie. That might be a tall order. Clint is a walking disaster," the former assassin drawled. "Are you sure you're up to hanging with a couple of super soldiers, Feathers?"

Clint narrowed his eyes before grumbling something about being a better shot. This then launched into a round of rowdy bickering and promises to play darts at the bar. Supposedly drinks were on the loser. Pietro was at a complete loss as to who would be the winner in a shooting contest between Bucky and Clint. But he did know that the losers here would be whoever had to pick his drunk father off the floor.

Pietro froze at that thought. His father…. He looked up just as Laura finally managed to usher the bickering Avengers out the door. She gave him an exasperated look as she locked up and moved on to corralling Lila and Cooper up to bed. His mother. He didn't know when or even how but the Barton's were their parents. In the beginning, they were just Laura and Clint (occasionally, the Old Man) but now it was rare to hear either twin refer or even think of the couple as anything other than mom or dad. Lila, Cooper and Nate were their little brothers and sister. The Avengers were their uncles and aunts. They were family. He didn't know how long had passed with him sitting there lost in thought before he felt a familiar and comforting presence sit on the seat beside him.

"You just now realizing this, bratishka?"

"I'm not your little brother," Pietro reminded his twin absently. Wanda snorted and settled further down on the sofa. Eris stirred enough to slip from Pietro's lap to Wanda's. Pietro watched his sister and their kitten fondly for a brief moment. "Do you think our parents would be angry with us for loving the Barton's?"

"No," Wanda assured him, covering his hand with hers. "I think our parents would be happy knowing that we're being taken care of. That neither of us is working ourselves to the bone to support each other. No, I think they would be very happy to know we have a new family. No matter how odd they are."

"Yeah, I guess so," Pietro murmured, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Thank you."

"Are you feeling okay?" Wanda asked, her tone light and teasing.

"I'm fine!" Pietro elbowed her much to the displeasure of Eris. "You planning on watching Quantico tonight?"

Wanda gave him a look. It didn't take their bond to know what that mocking look meant. He rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault. You and mom got me hooked on that ridiculous show. It's your fault that I need to know what happens next!"

"Sure keep telling yourself that," Wanda grinned.

Pietro opened his mouth to reply but the doorbell rang, causing the words to die on his lips. He exchanged a confused look with Wanda. Both their parents seemed pretty certain that no one was coming through. Clint was a bit oblivious but Laura always seemed to know when one of their extended family was coming by. Always. It was a little odd actually. Anyway, if Laura didn't warn them about someone coming by tonight then it was probably safe to assume that it wasn't one of the other Avengers or various affiliated people. They looked to the empty staircase. Laura wasn't flying down the stairs in an effort to get to the door. So that ruled out a potential threat. So that left only one other option.

Pietro zipped to the door with a smug grin in place. "Which one of you forgot what?" he asked, opening the door and stopping short. He expected to find a sheepish Steve, Bucky, Clint or Sam. Instead there was a petite brunette woman who was young but appear to be used to have some position of power. Beside her was a much taller bald black man. Pietro let his gaze travel between them before he took an involuntary step backwards, and straight into Wanda.

"Can we help you?" Wanda asked, suspiciously.

Pietro snapped his head towards his sister. He recognized the look on her face. It was the look she wore when she couldn't read someone. He had only seen that look a few times when they were with HYDRA and then later, oddly enough, with Laura Barton. Wanda could sense every member of the family but Laura. But neither of them really gave it much thought. Laura was so open with them in every other way, that the fact that they couldn't psychically sense her meant very little. But not being able to sense the people wearing all black leather cat suits… that was a problem.

"Pietro and Wanda Maximoff," the woman spoke. Pietro narrowed his eyes studying the stranger. She had short, choppy brown hair and distinctly Asian features. But what really caught his attention were the two large gauntlets on her hands. He shifted in place again, slightly blocking his sister.

"Who wants to know?"

"My name is Daisy. This is my partner, Mack."

"What do you want, Daisy and Mack?" Pietro asked, feigning a teasing tone. Something wasn't right. He didn't know but something wasn't right.

"Can we come in?"

"No," the twins replied in unison. They grinned. "Not until you tell us what you really want anyway."

"We want to discuss why you two have managed to evade SHIELD and being placed on the registry," Mack answered. He crossed two massive arms over his chest. "We want to know why the infamous Sokovian twins are hiding out on a farm in the middle of nowhere."

"Sokovia?" Pietro drawled. "Oh, you mean the city that fell out of the sky? Saw it on the news. That was crazy."

Daisy rolled his eyes before pulling out a picture. It was one of him and Wanda with Strucker. Pietro schooled his features into a blank mask at the sight of the man who tortured them, who promised to make them heroes and who guided them into nearly destroying the world. His death at the hands of Ultron was too good for him. He deserved so much more.

"So you're really going to tell me that this isn't you?" Daisy finally said, after realizing neither twin had any interest in speaking out loud. "Seriously?"

"I wish it was," Pietro smirked. "That guy has great hair." Wanda giggled, patting him on the back in silent support.

"Look, we're trying to be reasonable here. We already received a tip saying that there were two unregistered teenagers with superpowers living here."

"A tip from who?" Wanda asked, dropping all pretenses. They were always so careful in school. Maybe they weren't as good as they thought. Or maybe it was….

"The very concerned mother of the woman you've forced yourself on."

Anything Daisy said after that was white noise because… really? Carol called the authorities on them. She called the police and somehow SHIELD found out. And it didn't seem like the kind of SHIELD that Nick was working with. Nick knew about them. Nick wasn't trying to get them to register. He actually approved of them working and living with Clint and Laura. That bad feeling was back and intensifying. Pietro felt the tendrils of panic surging again and all he wanted right now was for these people to be gone and for his parents to be here.

"I don't know what Carol has told you," Wanda started, looking up with green eyes blazing. "But she does not have the whole story. She doesn't even have twelve percent of the story. We will not register with SHIELD. We are not accountable to SHIELD. We are only accountable to the rest of the Avengers."

"Right, because that's what you two are," Mack asked, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "You're heroes? Avengers?"

"We are now," they said in unison once again.

"Well, great!" Daisy snapped. "So why don't you two fine young heroes let us in and we can talk?"

"No, I don't think so."

Daisy flexed one of her gauntlet covered hands. "You really don't want to make this ugly, kid."

Wanda smirked. Her head tilted to the side. "Actually, I think you'll find that it is you who doesn't want to make things ugly, little girl."

Pietro wasn't sure who reacted first but all he knew was that one minute they were standing in the doorway having the most threatening conversation since the one where Bucky found him snuggling with Nyx and then the next found them huddled behind the sofa. He grunted at the stinging pain in his side. Wanda placed a hand there and frowned as it came away wet with blood.

"We really need to work on your dodging abilities, bratishka."

"Still not your little brother," Pietro grumbled. He took a deep breath and concentrated. He could feel the skin started to knit together. It would hold. It would have to because now Daisy and Mack were in the house. Great. Just great.

"Bobbi, we're going to need backup. Surprisingly they didn't want to go in peacefully."

The twins exchanged glances before peering over the edge of the sofa. They were calling for backup? This was going to escalate. Pietro arched an eyebrow. Wanda nodded. He didn't know why he bothered to ask. Of course his sister was already working on getting Clint and the others back there. He just hoped their father made it back in time. And that they didn't bring Bucky into this madness. This was definitely not the SHIELD they encountered in Sokovia. This was not the kind of SHIELD that would show any tolerance to the former Winter Soldier.

The others are on their way back now. We just need to hold on until they get here.

Oh, sure. That'll be super easy. Wanda elbowed him lightly, carefully avoiding the healing wound on his side. Wanda never did appreciate quality sarcasm even over a telepathic conversation.

We also need to get them out of house.

Pietro smirked. Now that, little witch, will be easy.

He sprang up with practiced ease, racing over to the two agents. He placed a hand on each of them and relied more on his speed and gravity to keep the pair moving with him. Though he lack the considerable upper body strength that Clint, Steve, Bucky and even Sam had, Pietro's abilities allowed him to carry objects heavier than him. Bruce tried to explain to him once but Pietro shrugged it off. He still would too. But that didn't mean he wasn't grateful for those abilities. Maybe Strucker wasn't all bad.

They were across the yard and past the barn when Daisy managed to throw out a hand, vibrations shooting from her palm and disrupting the ground under his feet. Pietro grunted as he slammed into the unforgiving ground on his already wounded side. He hissed through the pain, bracing himself for their return attack. The attack that never came as Wanda landed in between them with a defiant look in her eye. Red energy danced across his sister's skin, centering in the palms. He didn't need to see her to know that her eyes were tinged with the same scarlet.

"Why are you attacking us?" Wanda asked, glaring at Daisy. "You're like us."

"I am nothing like you!" Daisy snapped. "You let someone do this to you. You chose to let someone turn you into a monster. I had no choice. My gifts are genetic and my path was chosen for me."

Wanda winced as she felt a pang of guilt in her heart at those words. Pietro felt it to a lesser extent. The perks of being connected to a… whatever Wanda was classified as these days. It wasn't a feeling from her or his sister but rather from the agent in front of them. Pietro let out a low whistle as he and Wanda came to the same conclusion.

"All those people with powers that have been appearing," Wanda said aloud. "They are like you. They didn't choose their paths either. It was chosen for them as well. But by you." Daisy ducked her head and Mack placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a gentle act from the man trying to capture them just a moment ago. Pietro felt justified in not giving a crap. "You dare to come here and attack us when you did this?!"

"If you would just surrender and come in peacefully, we wouldn't have to attack you."

"Well," Pietro said, climbing to his feet. "I guess it's just a battle royale because we're not going anywhere with you. This is our home. This is our family. We're not leaving. Especially not to go anywhere with you people."

"Your family? That's almost adorable. I heard how you two have forced your way into these people's lives. We know what you can do, Ms. Maximoff," Daisy said. "You really expect us to believe that some middle class farm family in rural America suddenly felt compelled to take in twins with superpowers?"

Any response either Pietro or Wanda would've made was cut off by Daisy and Mack both crashing to the ground, writhing in obvious pain. Pietro looked to Wanda who was also confused. Then they both looked up to see Laura approaching. Her hand was held up in front of her and with each twitch of her fingers, the two agents groaned even more.

"So that answers the question as to why you can't sense her," Pietro drawled. Wanda nodded slowly, mouth slightly agape as they watched their adopted mother move closer. Her normally warm brown eyes were a solid black and matched the cold, dark expression on her face. "Mom?"

"Are you two okay?"

"Yes," Wanda assured her. They noticed a minute release of tension in Laura's shoulders but his expression remained the same. Wanda shifted forwards hesitantly. "But if you keep this up, I don't think they will be."

For a heart stopping moment, Pietro really believed that their mother wasn't going to stop. She was going to keep up her psychic attack until they were brain dead. Pietro was trying really hard to feel bad about that. Despite his lack of concern over the pair that attacked him and his sister, Pietro did know that this wasn't Laura. She wouldn't be happy with herself after the fact. So he stepped forward as well, giving her the puppy dog face that he knew he had and used liberally. Gradually, the black faded away as did the pained, choked moans on the ground. She sighed and let her hand fall to her side, turning to face them both somewhat sheepishly.

"So… I have powers!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Pietro laughed, not even feeling the least bit upset or surprised by this news. Honestly, he always kind of suspected really. The way Laura would know just the right things to say or the right way to touch someone to get them to feel better. This was not a surprise really. Well, it was a surprise that she could use to kick serious ass!

"I don't like using my… gifts like that," Laura scolded, though her lips were twitching. "I mostly prefer to help others. I don't like using them offensively."

"I don't know why. You were….. Mom, look out!"

At Wanda's panicked cry, Pietro's gaze darted down to Daisy who was rising to her feet unsteadily, blood trickling from her nose. But that wasn't what caught his attention. It was the hand that was outstretched and aimed at his mother. Pietro didn't think. He just moved. He could feel the strange energy that the young agent emitted when she used her vibration power. He grabbed Laura and shielded her from the brunt of the blast. It hurt even worse this time. He could feel his body breaking apart. The pain overwhelmed him and he didn't bother trying to fight the darkness that was creeping into his vision. He gave in freely. But before he did, one last thought followed him into the abyss. Wanda was totally right. I really need to work on dodging.  
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Clint was well aware that he was moving at a speed he didn't even know was possible for him. Later, he would marvel at the fact that he was outpacing the super soldiers. But in the moment, Clint couldn't focus on anything other than the open connection he had to Wanda. He could feel her panic, her fear as if it were his own. She was terrified and she was angry. That was never a good match. But it was another presence in his mind that had him moving forward faster. His wife. Laura rarely reached out to him this way. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. Something was… it was worse than he thought.

Clint burst through the trees lining the far end of his property and felt his heart skip for a moment at the sight lying before him. Two strangers were standing entirely too close to his family. Wanda was between Laura and Pietro. Laura was cradling an unconscious and far too pale Pietro to her chest. The kid wasn't supposed to look like that anymore. Wanda looked like the two strangers were one wrong word away from having their brains melted in their heads. Clint shifted so he was in front of his daughter, wife and son. With practiced ease, he had an arrow notched and aimed at the two strangers. He couldn't hit them both but he wouldn't need to with Wanda on his side. Besides, they were moving lethargically. There was blood in their ears and nose. Yeah, Laura was definitely not a happy camper.

"So I'm going to give you one opportunity to tell me who the hell you are and why I shouldn't kill you for hurting my family."

"She attacked me!" the young woman spat. She leaned heavily into the wall of a man beside her. He hadn't taken a good look when he first arrived. He knew he didn't know the woman. But the man… he knew him all too well.

"What the hell are you doing here, Mack?"

"Barton? This is where you…." Mack trailed off.

His expression shuttered and Clint had the almost excited feeling that the man finally realized they screwed up. That feeling was only solidified as there was now a gun aimed at Mack's head. A gun wielded by a metal arm and the very dangerous man behind it. His partner started to turn in Mack's direction but stopped short when Steve appeared by her side. Clint didn't know where Steve was hiding that or even when he had the time to find the shield he was now wielding, but he wasn't going to deny that he felt better knowing it was around. The young woman took in both the shield and Steve with wide eyes.

"Mack, please tell me that isn't who I think it is."

"I wish I could," Mack replied, sighing heavily. "Stand down, Daisy."

"But," the woman now known as Daisy protested.

"I'd listen to the man," Bucky warned, sounding bored yet dangerous. It was a tone, it seemed, that only former Russian assassin could effect to any successful degree.

Daisy huffed in response, lowering her arms to the side. Clint didn't lower his bow. She started to comment when she suddenly tilted her head to the side, staring at him like she recognized him. But he knew for a fact that he had never seen this girl before.

"I've seen you… in a picture," she murmured. Clint arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, it was definitely you. You were with Coulson and a redhead."

"Where the hell did you see that picture? And how do you know about Phil Coulson?" Clint growled, unconsciously shifting his finger on the draw.

"On the director's desk, of course."

"Director of what?" Bucky snapped.

"SHIELD," Mack answered, looking a mix between apprehensive and grave. He met Clint's gaze steadily however. "We're working with SHIELD."

"SHIELD fell last year," Steve countered. "There is no more SHIELD."

"The helicarrier Fury and Hill used in Sokovia," Clint said, numbly. "He said he had some friends dust it off." Clint clenched his jaw. He thought it was suspect at the time but he was just so grateful for its presence at the time that he didn't overthink it. Especially not after Pietro was shot. But he should've thought about it. Because who else would have a helicarrier just lying around. SHIELD was back. And there was a new person running it. Clint felt his heart stutter for a brief moment. "No, that can't… it can't be but….." he looked at Daisy. "You said you saw my picture on the Director's desk."

"Barton," Mack interrupted.

"Shut up, Mack! I need to know. I deserve to know the truth. Because you and I both know that there is a shortlist of people that Nick Fury would ever trust to be director of SHIELD in his absence. One of them works for Stark and moonlights with the Avengers. The other one is dead… right? Phil is dead… right?"

"Clint, this isn't…. you don't want me to answer that."

But that was all the answer that Clint really needed. His skin felt too tight all of a sudden. There was a buzzing sound in his ears that had nothing to do with his hearing aids and more to do with the overwhelming dread growing with each passing moment. Everything around him was too bright and too loud and too dark and too quiet. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't going to happen. He needed to focus. He couldn't let this drag him down. He needed to focus on his family. The one that didn't leave him… he let out a shaky breath.

"Laura, honey, how's our kid doing?"

"Not good," she called back. "I'm trying my best but I think he's still in pain. And he's shaking too much. It's almost like he's having a seizure. He needs help, Clint."

"Sam?"

"On it. Already on the line with Bruce," Sam replied before resuming his conversation Bruce. Wanda gave up on the standoff happening and was now kneeling by her brother's side. Daisy and Mack went forgotten by everyone but Clint, Steve and Bucky.

Clint shouldered his bow in order to run a hand through his hair. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with them. They attacked his kids and wife. They hurt his son. But Mack was a friend once. Mack was at Clint and Laura's wedding. Besides the longer they stayed, the closer they got to someone looking for them. Clint didn't know if he could take much more tonight. Just as he was opening his mouth to tell Daisy and Mack to leave, a black SUV pulled up on the already tense scene and Clint knew that life wasn't done kicking him while he was down just yet.

Three people scrambled out of the car as soon as it stopped. Two of them had guns already drawn. Clint didn't need to look to know that Bucky was tensing. The metal plates on his arm were shifting as if responding to his internal stress. They needed to shut this down before he snapped. Clint turned to regard the newcomers. He wasn't at all surprised to see Bobbi Morse given Mack's presence on the team. Lance Hunter was a bit of a surprise but he knew that the Brit never really got over his ex-wife like he claimed, so again not that shocking. Then again nothing could be more surprising than the man that was currently ordering them all to stand down.

Phil looked almost the same as he did the last time Clint saw him almost four years ago. Okay, well not exactly the same. The metal hand was new. Apparently metal limbs were in this year. He also looked more world weary. But he had the same warm green eyes and kind patient smile. Clint let out another shaky breath and felt his knees get weak.

"Hello, Clint."

"No," Clint said, his voice choked emotions. "This is not happening." Phil tilted his head with the same fond smile he's been giving Clint since the archer was seventeen. It was so familiar that it hurt. Clint unconsciously rubbed his chest, directly over his heart.

"You work with gods, remarkably well preserved super soldiers from the forties and Tony Stark. You trying to tell me that someone coming back from the dead can't be happening?"

It was such a Phil answer. He didn't need Laura or Wanda or any of the new SHIELD team to confirm it was really him. There wasn't anything in this world that could replicate the unique combination of intelligence, danger, sass and affection that made up Phil Coulson. He was alive. He was actually alive. And the bastard didn't tell Clint for four years!

"Actually," Clint snapped. "The 'this' I was referring to was you thinking it was okay to send agents to my house to attack my family. That's not happening."

"We weren't trying to attack them!" Daisy spoke up, staring plaintively at Phil, who only had eyes for Clint. That was fine because Clint had enough eyes to stare back at Daisy.

"Since you claim you know so much about what Wanda can do, you probably know that she can create an open psychic link between her and whoever she chooses," Clint watched as that realization settled in. "I've been here since the beginning. I know everything that happened back at the house and out here."

"We weren't trying to attack them much," Daisy conceded with a sheepish shrug that would've been endearing if it wasn't his wife and kids that she attacked just a few minutes ago.

"It was an honest mistake, Clint," Phil tried to intervene. Like Clint was any more receptive to listening to what he had to say. "SHIELD learned that the Sokovian twins were in the United States and we've been trying to track them down. It wasn't until we get Carol's tip that we were able to pinpoint them. I should've realized they were with you. Disappearing is a Barton family specialty.

"Oh, so dying, returning from the grave and essentially abandoning the man you practically raised must be a Coulson family trait. I'm so glad Clint never learned that life lesson while he was living with you," Laura chimed in.

Clint glanced in her direction, trusting that Steve and Bucky would watch his back. Laura's eyes were black as she tried to ease the still unconscious Pietro's pain. The fact that he was still down, pale and trembling, show just how hurt he was. He looked back to Coulson who was now standing slightly in front of Daisy. Oh, no wonder he never came back for Clint. Phil already replaced him. Clint could tell that Daisy was just damaged enough to be a beacon for Coulson and his savior of the broken and alone mentality. Phil didn't come back for Clint because he found someone new. He found someone else to try and fix.

"Clint?"

"No," Clint retorted, meeting Phil's gaze. "Just shut up and get out. There is absolutely nothing you have to say that I want to hear. Just get out."

"But the twins…." Bobbi protested. She took a step back at the glare Clint, Laura, Bucky and Steve threw in her direction. Sam was most likely giving a disapproving look from somewhere in the background.

"The twins are not your concern, ma'am. SHIELD has no jurisdiction over any of the Avengers and they are both Avengers," Steve said, putting his shield down by his side. Bucky didn't lower his gun or lose that dangerous glint in his eye. Clint felt a little better. "Not to mention, if you try and detain either one of them, you'll have a hell of a legal battle on your hands. They're both citizens of the United States."

"What?"

Clint smirked. "Courtesy of Tony Stark. Remember him?"

"I don't understand."

"For their eighteenth birthdays last month, Tony expedited the formal and completely legal adoption of one Wanda Maximoff-Barton and Pietro Maximoff-Barton. He doesn't really understand how to not to go big. So bottom line is that they are my children. They are Laura's children. We weren't mind control, compelled or any other stupid word you can think of. They're ours."

"And they're official Avengers," Steve added. "They got codenames and everything."

"So that means you leave," Bucky growled, patience clearly at its limit. Clint foresaw a lot of snuggling with Nyx in Bucky's future.

"Honestly, you might want to leave before the rest of the Avengers get here," Sam said, joining the conversation. He slipped his phone in his back pocket. "Because if you think Barton being pissed is bad, I don't even want to know how you're going to feel when you're facing off against Romanoff and Stark. I don't think they're going to take the whole you were dead and now you're not thing too well. Not to mention, the whole your new team attacked and severely injured our teenage teammate."

Phil let out a quiet sigh, still looking at Clint. His eyes begging him to just listen and forgive. "I… I'll come back later. We can talk….."

"Don't," Clint choked out, forcing himself to look into Phil's eyes. "Don't come back. Don't try to talk to me. Just don't. Leave and don't come back. Please."

Phil nodded slowly, turning on his heel to do just that. A confused Daisy and Hunter following after him. Bobbi and Mack both looked like they wanted to say something more. But logic, and Bucky's gun, convinced them that moving along would be the best move for all. The whole group turned collectively once they reached the car but Laura's black eyed stare combined with Bucky's… well everything, had them in the SUV and peeling off the property within five minutes. Clint bit on his lip to stop himself for begging Phil to come back.

He didn't know how long he stood there staring at the headlights as they moved further and further away from the property, he just knew it was too damn long. He had one injured kid, a pissed off wife and daughter, and three no doubt freaked out little ones that he needed to deal with. He didn't have time to be upset about Phil's resurrection and the lack of Clint knowing. He didn't have time to be happy yet completely heart broken. He needed… he needed...

"It's okay," a voice assured him as he felt his knees buckle. An arm locked around his waist and kept him from hitting the ground. His brow wrinkled as he was pretty sure that Sam, Bucky and Steve were still standing in the same place. So then who was standing next to him? He turned his head and blinked.

"Tony?"

"Jeez, I don't see you in a few weeks and you suddenly forget your favorite Avenger. I'm hurt, Hawk."

"How is Tony Clint's favorite?" Steve grumbled. Clint distantly recognized Bucky and Sam grunting in agreement. 

"When did you get here?"

"Ten minutes ago. Long enough for me to call your name a few times, ditch the suit and wait for you to come out of your catatonic state. Full disclosure, I was about a minute away from shocking you."

"I thought you were in New York."

Tony grinned. "About that…." He glanced behind him as a louder than normal whoosh of air signaled the arrival of Thor, Vision flying alongside the Avenger's personal jet. Clint could only watch in numb fascination as the doors opened and a disheveled Natasha, Rhodes, Helen and Bruce tumbled out. Natasha's hair looked like it went through a hurricane. Rhodes and Bruce were both looking a little green in equally disturbing ways. Helen gave up pretenses of trying to look presentable and was currently bent over the wing of the plane, coughing up lunch and dinner.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"We were already on our way," Natasha answered. "What can I say? We missed you. When Sam called, Thor created a wind tunnel and here we are."

"Oh, okay," Clint answered, absently.

He was dimly aware of Bruce and Helen moving to Pietro's side. Good, he was taken care of. He heard Laura say she was going to check on Nate, Lila and Cooper. Wanda was still sitting with Pietro who was being examined by Bruce and Helen. They were hooking him up to some kind of machine. He would be okay. They would fix him. And Clint wouldn't have to lose any more family. Except he didn't really lose any family, now did he? Everything he's believed for the past few years has been a lie. He's tortured himself with guilt and regret for damn near four years. Phil let him suffer because Phil knew Clint would torture himself. He knew and let Clint believe he was dead anyway.

"What happened?" Natasha's voice cut through his thoughts. Clint blinked again not realizing that he was now on the ground with Natasha's arms around him. The question, however, was not directed at Clint but rather to the concerned looking Steve and Bucky hovering around them. Steve sighed.

"It was SHIELD. They came here to 'apprehend' the twins."

"But SHIELD is gone," Natasha protested. Her breath caught as she looked between her broken partner and the too understanding Steve. She rested her head against Clint's. "Phil is alive? Phil is alive. Phil is alive and he never told us. Fury either. Oh, those bastards."

"Language, Natalia," Bucky murmured, earning a startled laugh from Clint and a halfhearted glare from Steve. The attempt pulled a more genuine laugh from the archer. Bucky kneeled in front of him. His blue eyes were understanding and sympathetic. With a small smile, they both realized this was the reverse of their conversation from earlier. Bucky patted him on the knee. "You with us?"

"Yeah," Clint sighed, running a hand through his hair. He pulled away from Natasha slightly, knowing she needed the comfort too. "Bruce, tell me my kid is okay and I don't have to hate Phil for anything other than him being a lying liar that lies."

Bruce's amused snicker gave him all the answer he needed. Pietro would be fine. Still, Laura would kick his ass six ways from Sunday if he didn't get the whole rundown. So he sat up and turned to face the twins. Pietro was awake now, albeit very groggily, and leaning heavily into Wanda's side. Helen was coaxing him into eating what looked like a protein bar. Judging from the faint look of disgust playing across his exhausted features, it wasn't very good. But food was food when it came to a speedster. 

"It seems this enhanced agent that SHIELD is employing can control and produce vibrations," Bruce reported, plopping down on the ground with the rest of the team. "Unfortunately when Pietro sped over to protect Laura, the agent caught him with a blast of that vibration power. It was unfortunate timing and it resulted in what you saw."

"What did we see?" Steve asked. "He looked like he was dying."

"He was. Essentially when he's speeding, his body is unstable. It's what makes him so fast. So when you hit a vibrating and unstable object with vibrations…."

"You get a not so great situation," Clint finished, still watching the twins. Pietro caught his gaze and winked. Cheeky little bastard. Laura returned a few minutes later. She didn't hesitate to nudge the twins apart and take her place between them. "How are the kids?"

"Confused. Cooper is a little agitated but they're okay. Lila managed to corral all three of the kittens into the room with them. They're fine. Nyx was all cuddled up with her brother and sister when I left, so relax, Bucky." The former assassin flushed but couldn't stop the smile on his lips. Clint relaxed a little more. "Cooper said Wanda was protecting them the whole time."

Wanda flushed. "I threw up a shield around the room as soon as I opened the line of communication between you and me. That's why I wasn't as vigilant as I normally am. But I was just trying to keep the children safe."

"You were great, sweetheart," Laura assured her, pressing a kiss against her forehead first and then Pietro. "You saved my life. You almost died saving me. You're making this a very disturbing habit, kiddo." Pietro smiled weakly against her shoulder. Laura feigned a smile of her own but Clint could see that she was distracted. Distracted and angry. She met his gaze and he could see the emotions conflicting there. "We're not safe here anymore."

"I know," Clint agreed.

"I couldn't even sense her," Laura continued. "I can sense anyone coming here but I couldn't sense her. We're lucky it was SHIELD. What if it's someone else my mother sends here because she thinks she's trying to protect me. She just needs to come out and admit that she's prejudiced against people with powers."

"She likes you," Natasha countered. Laura rolled her eyes.

"She wants to control me. But this was the final straw. We're not safe here anymore. We're not safe as long as they know where we live."

"I could always erase that knowledge from her mind," Wanda suggested hesitantly. Laura looked like she was enjoying that idea a little too much. Clint arched an eyebrow.

"Honey, even if you did think letting our daughter mindwipe your mother was a good idea, which is it isn't, the fact is that she still called the police and that's how SHIELD intercepted the call. That means that the locals know about the twins. So our cover here is blown anyway."

"Oh, right," Laura muttered in disappointment. Damn, he loved that woman. "So what now? Do we try and find some other secluded farm in the middle of nowhere?"

"Actually," Tony started, fiddling idly with the hem of his t-shirt. "That's part of what we came here to talk about."

"Yeah, you were already coming here. What's going on?"

"Ah, the short story is that the government seized control of Stark Tower and most of Stark Industries using some ancient loophole that my father was too drunk to notice. Pepper had to break up with me to maintain control over Stark Industries and insure that all of our employees remain well… employed. And Rhodey quit the government."

Clint was glad that he wasn't the only one gaping in muted disbelief. "And I thought our day was going pretty bad."

"Yeah, it's been pretty crappy," Tony admitted with only the barest of sarcasm. Pretty crappy didn't begin to cover it apparently.

"So that means the Tower is out for all of us," Steve muttered, glancing at Bucky out the corner of his eye. "I guess we're all homeless now."

"Not exactly. Like the man said, that's part of the reason why he's here," Natasha smiled. "The military used a loophole to seize properties belonging to Howard Stark because he was a contractor. However, they have no control over any assets belonging to Maria Cerrera."

"Also known as the woman who would marry my lout of a father and contribute to one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the modern era: me!" Tony chimed in. "Our fine government is hoping that by seizing my properties and isolating me from the things I've grown accustomed to in life that they can force me to sign up and be the poster child for their Superhero Registration Act."

"They clearly don't know you," Steve mused. Tony gave him a look that flickered quickly towards Bucky and then back to the captain. Clint didn't miss the frown on Steve's face or the tension in Bucky's body. Still Tony looked as relaxed as ever. 

"No, they don't know me at all," Tony finally said, with a small smile. "So with that in mind, I propose that we regroup. Stop living scattered all across the world and be a united force. A wise Popsicle once said that we're better together. He's not entirely wrong. I say it's time for us to stop being a team in name only. We stand together."

"Not that I'm questioning you nor am I lacking sufficient motivation," Clint started with a smirk. "But you do remember that I have a wife and kids, right? As much as I love being an Avenger, they come first."

"Oh, little Hawk, one day you'll learn not to doubt my genius. I have the perfect place for us to live. I didn't think we'd be moving in so soon but no time like the present, right?" Tony paused, letting them all wait in anticipation. "My mother was well aware of my father's flaws in his later years. She foresaw that one day we might need a place to get away. Obviously they both died before that needed to be a plan but the mansion remained. And it's mine now. And it's in her name so the government and their military thugs can't touch it."

"You want us to live with you in your old family mansion?" Sam asked. He glanced at Bucky who was quietly trying to fade into the background it seemed. "All of us?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want you to live with me in my old family mansion," Tony retorted with no heat behind the words. "All of you. Yes, that means you too, Barnes." Bucky looked up in surprise. "Yeah, I know about the whole HYDRA killed my parents thing. It was yet another one of their tactics to get me to turn against the team. They told me the truth about my parents' deaths and that it wasn't an accident. That it was the Winter Soldier. But, like the Popsicle said, they don't know me. As far as I'm concerned, it was HYDRA and not the Winter Soldier that killed my parents. It wasn't you, James Barnes. It was the man HYDRA tried to force you to be. I can live with that. Can you?"

"Uh, yeah, I think that I can try to.. yeah, I can," Bucky stuttered, flushing an adorable red. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, shifting closer to Steve unconsciously. Steve smiled indulgently at his actions. 

"Anymore questions from the Frozen boys?" Tony asked, also faintly amused by Bucky.

"Yeah, uh, what's your policy on cats?"

Clint couldn't help the laugh that burst out at Bucky's sheepish question. Soon they were all laughing. After the emotional evening he just had, the laughter felt good. He looked back at the house in the distance. It had been his home for the past ten years. It was where he could go to escape the stress of working with SHIELD. But if he learned anything from this night it was that he didn't work for SHIELD. He was an Avenger. SHIELD wanted him to distance himself from the world. He now wondered how much of that was HYDRA and how much as SHIELD. But it didn't really matter. Whereas his family was a carefully guarded secret with SHIELD, it was out in the open with the Avengers. SHIELD was a place he worked. The Avengers… were his family. They were as much his family as Laura, the twins, Cooper, Lila and Nate. He smiled.

"So the Avengers mansion, huh?" he asked, leaning his weight back on his elbows. "I kind of like the sound of that."

"Me too," the others murmured in agreement. Tony practically beamed.

"What say you, family?" Clint turned to his wife and kids.

"You already know Lila and Cooper are down for anything, especially living in a mansion. It'll take some time but I'll adjust to living in a city again. I'm okay with this. What about you two?"

"I go wherever you all go," Wanda answered, not bothering to lift her head from Laura's shoulder. She looked exhausted. "Pietro?"

The speedster sighed heavily, still chewing on the protein bars Helen was supplying him with. "Well, the love of my life is gone. Might as well move. There's nothing left for me here anyway."

Clint rolled his eyes. "You're such a teenager!"

"Isn't that what you wanted for us?" Pietro countered with just enough innocence and hurt in his voice to almost make it believable. Almost. The kid smirked.

"So it's settled. The team is back together," Steve announced grinning at their family antics. "So Avengers Mansion it is."

Clint nodded along with the rest of them. It was decided. They were moving on to the start of something new.

"Seriously though, how many animals are we talking about here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Laura has powers. Yes, I've been kind of hinting towards it this entire time. Because I've got plans for Laura and her powers that will extend past this story and into the future.


	8. The Carriage Held But Just Ourselves And Immortality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clint sets up the prequel, Laura faces her demons and reconciliations abound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, like I said last chapter, this is the last chapter. It's not the end of this particular series because of course I'm starting a new series. Of course. But this particular part of the story is over. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. More notes in the end! Ciao for now.

Clint knew from the second he saw Pietro and Bucky approaching him with matching determined expressions on their faces that he was about to be subjected to some next level insanity. Pietro alone was one of the most impulsive and socially awkward humans Clint has ever met (and he would know since he was a card carrying member of the socially awkward team and also enjoyed collecting them like some people collected coins). So the speedster looking determined was already cause for concern. But add in Bucky striding onto the range beside him with an equally motivated expression and Clint just knew this was not going to end well. He knew it but he still wasn't prepared for….

"Who is Phil Coulson to you? And would killing him for real make you hurt less?"

Clint felt he was justified in letting the bow he was practicing with slip from his fingers. He was so surprised he couldn't even find it in him to laugh at Steve straight up face-palming in the background. Sam whistled and let out a chuckle. There was a faint yet familiar giggle from somewhere in the background but Clint ignored it. Instead he watched as the resolute faces morphed into looks of confusion. Clint sighed. It wasn't their fault. Not really anyway. He knew that he wasn't acting normally since finding out that Phil was alive. He tried to fake it but damned if he wasn't surrounded by people who were so not into buying his crap.

In the three days following Clint finding out about Phil's return from the dead, he's had a hard time shaking any of them. He knew that there had to be some sort of schedule posted somewhere. Laura had him at night, for obvious reasons but during the day there was some kind of rotating roster of Avengers who would hover around him. Right now he was training with Sam and Steve but earlier it was Vision and Thor. He didn't know what they were waiting for but apparently his son and sniper bro were tired of waiting around. Apparently, it was time for action. It was that last thought that caused Clint to just give into the amusement bubbling in his chest. He doubled over with laughter.

"Why are you all laughing?" Bucky asked, voice full of confusion.

"In what way would killing Phil make me feel better?" Clint asked around another laugh. "I was upset that he was dead to begin with."

"Yes, but finding out that he was alive made you sadder. I would prefer the sadness you felt when you only thought he was dead to this empty sad thing you're doing now," Pietro pointed out. Clint had to admit that to his son, that probably made a lot of sense. To the average human, not too much.

"Kid, Buck, thanks for the offer but I'm really good with not actually killing Phil," Clint assured them. "Trust me, I wouldn't feel better with Phil being dead. Especially knowing that one of you did it."

"So that goes back to the first question," Bucky said, looking just a bit disappointed that there would be no one to kill. "Who is Phil Coulson to you? He's not just your handler."

"Yeah," Steve chimed in. "Natasha is really angry that Phil lied but she's not hurting like you. I think she's angry that he lied and angry that he hurt you."

"Guys, it's complicated," Clint said with a slight shrug.

"Well, how about you try making it a little less complicated, Feathers?" Tony asked, revealing himself for the first time. Clint raised an eyebrow. Tony scoffed but Clint could read the concern on his face. Stupid sappy Iron Ass. "Right, well, I saw Robocop and Speedy coming over here wearing their resolve faces. Did you really think I wasn't going to follow to see what madness was going to come of this? So here I am."

"There you are," Clint snorted. He ran a hand through his hair as he realized they were all still waiting on an answer. He sighed. It was stupid. He didn't have a reason not to tell them. So he let out a deep breath. "You see, the thing is… that… so when I was seventeen, I was kind of an assassin for hire."

"That was so not where I was expecting this story to go," Sam muttered.

"I was really good at it too. Turns out having amazing aim and no family ties really helps with the assassin gig," Clint said, flippantly. He looked down at his hands, trying to ignore the stares from the other men and his kid. "The thing is, that I was a little too good. And I started attracting the wrong kind of attention in the two years that I was active. I had a target on my back and every creepy, shadowy agency you can think of was looking to collect. And then all of a sudden, this bland guy in a suit shows up and offers me a way out. A way to use my skills for the greater good and what not."

"Phil," Steve said softly.

"Phil," Clint confirmed with a small smile. "He brought me into SHIELD. He also gave me a place to stay. I lived with him… hell, until I married Laura really. You're right. Phil was much more than just my handler. He was also my… my…"

"You," Pietro supplied. He flushed under the odd looks he was getting. "I mean that he is to you what you are to me. He adopted you."

"Except he didn't really," Clint shrugged. He remembered the fond look Phil gave the Daisy girl. He felt the familiar sting of rejection. "Guess that should've been my sign that I didn't really mean that much to him, huh?"

"I'm sure that's not true," Steve tried. "I mean he took you in, right? He didn't just give you a job, he brought you home. And I saw the way he looked at you, Clint. That wasn't the look of a man who didn't care about you. He cares. He's just…."

"He's confused," Bucky suggested. Clint met his gaze. Bucky shrugged his metal shoulder. "I mean I know how I felt coming out of the cold for so long. It's disorienting. I'm not saying I agree with keeping it quiet for four years. But hell, it took me almost two years to finally give up and let Stevie and Wilson catch up to me."

"We found you," Steve grumbled. "You didn't let us catch up to you. We caught up to you on our own."

"You keep believing that," Sam said, patting him on the shoulder. "Stevie."

"No! Only Bucky is allowed to call me that," Steve protested. Sam's teasing gaze flickered briefly to Clint before landing on Steve again.

"And why is it that only Bucky is allowed to call you that and not us? What's so different about Bucky?"

Both super soldiers flushed a bright shade of red before looking everywhere around the room but at each other. Clint repressed the urge to laugh like the rest of them. They made it too easy. Still, Clint was glad for the distraction. Talking about Phil was like picking a still healing wound. He knew he wasn't over Phil's death. The man took him in when he was still a stupid punk teenager with something to prove to the world. He gave him a home and a family. He didn't think a hundred years would ever really be enough time to get over it. So he mourned for almost four years. And it was all for nothing.

"Dad?" Pietro's voice cut through his increasingly more depressing thoughts. The speedster teen was chewing on his lip thoughtfully before sighing heavily. "When Mom had Nate, I was jealous. Because it was still really new, the whole living with you guys thing. I thought that you would be overwhelmed with the baby and Cooper and Lila and eventually you would not want us anymore. Eventually you would see that it would be easier without two teenagers with superpowers and emotional problems."

"Pietro, I would never….."

"I said I thought that you would," Pietro corrected with a hint of his smug smirk peeking though. "I know different now. I know that you love Wanda and me just as much as you love Nate, Cooper and Lila. We are all your children. And that will never change, right?"

"Never," Clint assured him, even as he pulled the kid into a one armed hug. Pietro leaned into the embrace. "Nothing will ever change how I feel about you or Wanda. You're my kids, no matter what."

"Even if I push you away because you hurt me?"

"Even if," Clint swore. "You could try and push me away but I wouldn't let you. Do you know how many times I pushed Phil away when he first brought me in? I actually fled the country once. He caught up to me on one of my layovers. He didn't yell at me or anything. He just sat next to me and made me feel like someone cared enough to track me down…. And dammit, I just walked right into your trap."

"You did," Pietro practically beamed with happiness. Clint didn't know whether to hug the brat or punch him. Actually, he did. He tightened his grip on the teen's shoulders.

"He got you," Steve echoed with a smirk of his own. "Don't think of Daisy as your replacement. Think of her as…."

"Your little sister," Tony finished gleefully.

Clint narrowed his eyes, ready to protest when it hit him. That's exactly what this was like. Phil had a habit of picking up wounded human beings. And no, Clint did not somehow inherit that from him. He would deny that he picked up strays until he was blue in the face. He did not have a thing for strays. But Phil totally did. The more that Clint thought about it, the more he recognized that Phil wasn't replacing him with Daisy. She was an addition. He probably would've figured it out sooner if he hadn't been so damn surprised and angry. And now he's pushed him away. Again.

"I wouldn't stress it, Tweety," Tony said, still leaning against the doorframe. "I didn't get to know Agent all that well but I do know that he's a stubborn bastard. Yet another trait you picked up from him. He'll come back around. Probably sooner than later."

Clint shrugged. He couldn't find the words to say. Did he even want Phil to come back around? Because even if he wasn't replacing him with Daisy, Phil still lied to him for four years. He died and he came back and he didn't tell Clint. The same Clint that Phil knew all too well would be blaming himself for the death of his mentor for the rest of his life. He knew this and he still didn't come back for him. So did it really matter if Phil saw Daisy as a younger sister for Clint or as his replacement when he didn't come back for the archer to begin with? Too many questions and not enough answers. He really hoped that if (a lot of emphasis on the word if) Phil really did come back to see him, it would be after he answered those questions for himself.

And then because his inner monologue loved being the center of all irony, he heard a car pulling into the driveway. He shrugged his arm away from Pietro and walked over to the window half dreading and half hoping to see a SHIELD issue SUV sitting there. Instead parked by the cloaked Quinjet was his mother-in-law's sensible smart car. Oh, now this was going to be a show. Because while Clint was still confused as to how to deal with the whole Phil situation, his wife knew exactly how to deal with her mother and sister. Laura confirmed this by stalking out the front door, hands already held up and eyes black. Clint sighed.

"Kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Grab your twin and get out there before Laura finally goes through with her decade long desire to kill her mother and sister."

"Why do you not go?"

Clint snorted. "Because if I go out there, it will escalate straight to the killing stage. Carol, Brenda and I were never meant to see eye to eye. I know too much about them. They don't like me and I've never liked them or how they treated Laura. But they're her family and I'm not going to get in the way of that. They don't have to like me. I'm just her husband. But you and Wanda, you're Laura's kids. That means the Harpy and the Shrew out there need to respect you both."

Pietro tilted his head to the side. "Mom said that her mother does not like people with powers. This includes her own daughter?"

"Understatement, kiddo. Her mother is definitely not a fan of the superpowers shtick. But she tolerated it from Laura when she was using it to get money."

"How was she… using it to get money?" Sam asked, almost as if afraid to know the answer. Clint shook his head.

"Not quite the way you're probably thinking. Back in the day, Laura, her mom and sister all worked as fortune tellers at a traveling circus. You know the whole reading palms, tea leaves and crystal ball mojo. Then as luck would have it, Laura hit puberty and got the ability to read emotions and thoughts. Carol used her abilities to damn near rob everyone in the circus blind. Then she moved on to another one and so on. She only turned legit after Laura ran away from the last circus they worked. She left behind her mother, sister and a love-struck archer."

"Wait, Laura worked at the same circus you grew up in?" Tony asked, incredulously.

"You grew up in the circus?!" Sam, Steve and Pietro chorused. Bucky just looked confused. Clint smirked.

"I never told you guys how Laura and I met?"

"No," was the resounding answer. Clint grinned wider.

"Well, after Speedy over here stops his mother from assassinating her mother, I'll be happy to tell you all about how I met their mother."

"As long as the story doesn't take nine years and end with you marrying Natasha," Pietro muttered before speeding out of the barn in search of his sister.

Clint made a face. Him marry Natasha? Maybe in another world but definitely not in this one. Because from the moment he first laid eyes on Laura with her warm smile and fearsome personality, he was in love. Even after she took off, Clint was in love with the woman. By the time he ran into the Black Widow (literally ran into her in the middle of a job), Clint was so hung up on the idea of his long lost love that he barely gave her a second glance. It didn't help that his reputation for being a human disaster started around that time. From the moment Natasha first laid eyes on Clint, she decided that she needed to look after him or he would probably fall in a hole and die. And he would like to argue that she was wrong but there was that week he was missing and yeah…. She wasn't entirely wrong. So Natasha became the sister and overall guiding force he needed back then. She was family.

He glanced out the window to see his wife still facing off against her mother and sister. She looked tense and angry. Never a good combination when it came to someone with as much power as Laura. He was about to go out there himself when the twins zipped into the scene, standing beside their mother. Laura relaxed somewhat, her eyes clearing up into their normal brown. He smiled. It was a good decision to send them out there. Maybe he did have a habit of collecting strays. But those strays were as good for him as he was for them. Natasha, the twins and now Bucky… they were all family.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Laura would like the record to show that she's more than a little aware that she's not perfect. She knows that she's made mistakes in the past. She wasn't always a good person. But she tried to make up for those lost years. She tried to do the right thing. She tried not to use her powers for evil (or money or personal amusement). She just tried really hard to be the woman that Clint staked his life and career on. And for the most part, she was. It was only when people threatened or hurt her family that she slipped. Her kids were the best thing she ever did with her life. They were living proof that she could be a good person. She made it her mission in life to protect them with everything she had and then some. Using her powers to protect her kids would never be something she could view as a bad thing. She only used them to take down anything she perceived as a threat to the welfare and happiness of her children. And her mother was pretty much the textbook definition of a threat.  
  
Carol Bishop barely qualified for mother of the day much less the year. She used her daughters to con people into giving up their hard-earned money for years at various circuses and carnivals across the country. When Laura finally managed to hide away enough money, she ran as far and as fast as she could, leaving her family behind with no regrets. She didn't think about them either. Not when she was moving from place to place, finally able to unleash the full extent of her powers and realizing that she needed limits. She needed boundaries. And she got that in Clint Barton, the skinny little archer with more mouth than muscle from the last circus they worked in. Of course, by the time she found him again, he definitely had the muscle to back up that mouth. But it wasn't his muscle that convinced SHIELD not to lock her up and throw away the key. It was that mouth and his equally big, stupid heart. The same big, stupid heart that led to them being married with five kids, three cats, a dog, more surrogate siblings than she could've ever imagined and a tricked out farmhouse. It wasn't a perfect life but it was theirs and it worked. Well, it did until her mother and sister reared their ugly, hateful heads. Again.

"Get the hell out!" Laura hissed, stomping down the stairs and towards her surprised mother and sister. She knew the surprise had less to do with Laura charging towards them with her powers at full blast and more to do the Avengers who were currently sprawled across the yard entertaining the children and not even attempting to hide their interest in the conversation. Laura saw their surprise grow as the twins suddenly appeared on either side of her, each wearing matching expressions of awe, concern and amusement. God, she loved these kids.

"Laura, honey, what's going on?"

"Seriously?!" Laura spat. "You're seriously going to stand here and pretend like you didn't call the police and say that Wanda was mind controlling us?!"

"You're going to tell me that there wasn't a distinct possibility?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to say! There isn't a chance in hell that I would allow anyone who would harm me or my kids to come anywhere near them. I definitely wouldn't let them move in and adopt them if I thought there was a chance," Laura retorted. She shifted so that there was a clear and definite barrier between her mother and sister and the twins. She gave them a look. "Oh, and I do mean anyone, mother."

"Oh, Laura. Stop being so dramatic," Brenda huffed, rolling her eyes. "Obviously, your brats are here. So it didn't work. No big deal."

"No big deal? Your call was picked up by SHIELD!" Laura countered, her eyes darkening unconsciously. "They came here guns and powers blazing to take the twins by force. Of course I intervened and one of the agents almost killed me. She had powers too. And she used them against me. If that blast had hit me, I would've been dead. I'm only standing here because Pietro took the hit for me. He almost died. Again!"

"You almost," Carol trailed off. Her eyes traveling back and forth between Pietro and Laura. Laura snapped her fingers in front of her face. Carol looked at her daughter with a look that spoke of her slowly realizing how deeply she screwed up. Too little, too late. "Laura, you being hurt was never meant to happen. I never wanted you to be in danger. I was just looking out for you and the children!"

"That would be a first for you," Laura snapped. "You have never had my interests in mind. Not when I was a kid and I needed you to be a mother, not a scam artist. Not when I was a teen, and you forced me use my powers to get over on people. And certainly not now as an adult when you fail to realize that the twins and my husband are as much as a part of me as Cooper, Lila and Nate."

"I get it now," Carol said, ignoring Brenda's gasp of surprise. Laura rolled her eyes. "I promise that I will do better. That we'll both do better. Maybe we could come over for dinner sometime next week and I can get to know my grandchildren. All of my grandchildren."

Laura fought the need to scoff. She gave into it anyway. "That's going to be impossible. You see thanks to you, the farmhouse is no longer secure. You told the town about the twins having powers. We're lucky no one has shown up with pitchforks and torches yet."

"There may have been a Hulk sighting a few nights ago," Wanda chimed in. a small grin played across her lips as she glanced at a smirking Bruce. "I believe we may be in our new home long before they regain the courage to approach us."

Laura stifled a laugh. Of course, Avengers look out for one another. At least there was one bright spot in this. She had even more eyes looking out for her kids and her favorite assassins (Bucky included). She would miss the farmhouse she called home for the past ten years but she had to admit it would be nice to be back in a city with neighbors that weren't a few miles away. And it would be great to have her husband with her full time. In a weird way, she was grateful that the issue was pushed but not the way it went down.

"You're moving?" Brenda asked, her voice quiet. "You're actually leaving?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"It's classified," Laura retorted.

"Don't be like…"

"Don't be like what?" Laura interrupted before her sister could finish that statement. "Don't protect my kids from your hatred?"

"Okay, Mom said she was sorry. We'll try and make nice with the twins and even Clint. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No," Laura shrugged. "It's not. Maybe a month or so ago, that would've worked. But it doesn't work now. That's not what I want. What I want is for my kids, all of them, to be happy and loved. And you will never love them. You will never accept them and that's your loss. Because they're amazing. And they're mine."

"Laura, be reasonable."

"I am. For the first time in forever, I'm being reasonable. Against my better judgment, I let you both back into my life. I wanted Cooper and Lila to know their aunt and grandmother. But it's just been a nightmare. You treat Clint like crap. And even though he acts like it doesn't bother him, I know that it does. And now you're spreading that to the twins. I'm taking a stand now and saying I don't want you in my life anymore. Cooper, Lila and Nate when he's old enough, they can make the choice on their own. But for me, I don't want to see you again."

"Laura!" Brenda cried.

Laura shook her head. It was always the same with her family. It was a vicious cycle of allowing them back in, letting them hurt her and pushing them away. She couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't fair to her or Clint. So it would hurt to let them go but it would hurt worse to keep them around. She exhaled shakily and latched onto the two hands that were reaching for hers.

"Come on, brats. I need your help getting your father and the rest of the rowdy bunch hiding out in the barn to do some work. Wanda, you keep the big softies in the room while Pietro hits them with the face. They'll be working in no time."

They both laughed quietly and allowed her to lead them away. She never looked back at her gaping mother and sister. Instead, she walked with her head held high to the barn where Clint was leaning against the door. He wordlessly wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It wasn't until she heard Natasha ordering the still shocked Brenda and Carol away that she dared to actually fall apart. The others filed out silently allowing them some space.

"You didn't have to do that," Clint murmured against her hair. She pulled back to look up at him. He smiled faintly. "I would never want you to turn away your family, Lore. Neither would Wanda or Pietro."

"I know that. But yes, I did need to do that. I did it for me, Clint. I did it for me."

"I love you."

"I know. That's why I could do it."  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Clint wasn't surprised when the SUV pulled up in the driveway a few days after the final confrontation between Laura and her mother and sister. He was surprised by the fortunate (for their guests anyway) timing. Most of the natives were getting restless with more and more of the house being prepped for the move that would finally happen the following day. So Clint ordered that they find something to do other than hover around the slightly mopey Laura and Clint. So they cleared out. Well, for the most part. In a not at all shocking turn of events, Bucky, Natasha, Sam and the twins stayed behind. Clint didn't even blink as he and Laura walked into the den to find them gathered around the coffee table and playing a potentially deadly game of UNO. Instead, he made space between his daughter and Natasha and asked to be dealt in.

That left Laura to answer the door. Laura, who was still a little emotionally unhinged after the events of the past few days. Laura, who was definitely not in the mood to see anyone even loosely associated with SHIELD, much less the damn director that abandoned her husband and the completely off the leash agent that almost murdered their son. So it wasn't surprising either that the first thing Clint heard following Laura opening the door was the sounds of bodies hitting the floor and grunts of pain. He sighed even as Pietro sped towards the door.

"It's still cool even after all these years," Natasha murmured. Clint shot her a dirty look. She stared blankly back at him. He threw down a Draw Four and declared the color to be blue. She glared knowing that he was very aware of the fact that her hand had no blue cards. "Asshole."

"What's the point of this game?" Bucky asked, ignoring Pietro pleading with his mother to stop trying to fry the brains of their guests. He was holding his cards up and away from the tiny set of teeth that were currently trying to chew through them, while also shielding them from Sam, who wasn't even hiding the fact that he was cheating. Clint shook his head even as he took advantage of the man's distraction to peek at his cards. "It just seems like the point is to screw over your friends and family as much as possible."

"That's the entire purpose," Wanda agreed. She sent a glance over her shoulder before silently deciding that Pietro had it under control. "You never really know someone until you play UNO with them and that jerk hits you with a Draw Four."

"I feel like that was aimed at me. Also why is my daughter talking in memes?" Clint asked, glaring at a guilty looking Sam. "Worst godfather ever."

"Hold up, I refuse to be a worse godfather than Steve 'language, yet I curse like a sailor' Rogers or Tony 'I built Ultron' Stark!"

"And yet, my sweet, intelligent teenage daughter is speaking in meme!" Clint countered. "Pretty much topping the list there, bud."

"Oh, no, honey," Laura corrected as she sauntered into the living room with Pietro and several SHIELD personnel in tow. A bright grin pulled on her lips while the others looked haggard and Pietro appeared to be in awe once again. "It's safe to say that worst godfather of the year title goes to the man that couldn't be bothered to tell his godchild or the man that he practically raised that he was back from the dead. I think that's way worse."

"You have a point, darling," Clint agreed. He nodded at Sam. "You're the second worse."

"Gee, thanks," Sam murmured. Wanda patted him on the knee while Pietro rested a hand on his shoulder. Clint snorted before looking up at Phil and friends.

Once again, Phil was accompanied by SHIELD's finest, Daisy, Bobbi, Mack and some blonde kid he didn't know. He repressed the urge to scoff. SHIELD definitely declining in the talent recruitment these days. He knew he wasn't as alone in his head as intended when he heard Laura and Wanda both giggle slightly. He used that to give him the strength he would need for this confrontation. Well that and the slightly manic ex Russian assassins by his side.

"So I thought I told you not to come back. That meant don't come back."

"Don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable, Barton?" Bobbi snapped. Clint raised an eyebrow. Bobbi stared back with volumes of feelings hidden in her expression. That damn woman really knew how to hold a grudge. They seriously only dated for like a week. And she still hated him nearly twelve years later. That was dedication. "Director Coulson is here to apologize. The least you could do is listen."

"Oh, is that the least I could do? And why should I?" Clint asked, rising to his feet. "Last time I checked, I don't work for SHIELD anymore. And Phil over here didn't care to let me know he was alive until his agent tried to kidnap my kids and murder my wife. So it's safe to say that's a bridge burned. Yeah, I'm really not seeing why I have any obligation to listen here."

"Clint…" Phil started before trailing off pathetically. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Any of you. Maria only recently let us know that the twins were in the custody of the Avengers. We were operating under old Intel and that's our fault. This never should've happened."

"You're right," Clint retorted. "Well, if that's all you came to say. That's great. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. I have asses to kick at UNO."

"You mean you have cheating to do at UNO," Natasha replied dryly from where she stood at Clint's right side. Bucky snickered in echo of that statement from somewhere behind Clint. He glanced over his shoulder to see his latest stray leaning against the entryway to the room with his favorite gun in hand. Clint doubled checked but knew without really checking that the safety was on and Bucky's fingers were nowhere near the trigger. He knew they wouldn't be because of the small black and fuzzy lump on Bucky's shoulder.

Seriously was it a Russian assassin thing to look as badass as humanly possible even when doing something as innocuous as holding a kitten?

"Clint, Natasha, I'm sorry." The two partners exchanged glances before shrugging. Phil sighed heavily. "For what it's worth…. I'm proud of both of you."

Clint clenched his jaw, balling his hand into a fist at his side. Natasha stepped closer so that her hair was brushing against his shoulder. He could sense the tension in his best friend as well. It didn't fade even as Phil made one further apology before motioning for his team to file out. And they did… except for Daisy. She hesitated in the doorway before coming back in. the unknown blonde followed her back in but lingered by the door. He looked torn between getting out while the getting was good and helping Daisy in whatever she was attempting to do. Clint really wished the guy would just run. Would be safer for him in the long run.

"I know that you have no reason to listen to me or even care about what I have to say but… Phil is telling the truth," she explained. Her entire body pleading them to just listen and care. "He had no idea we were going after the twins. I went off on my own like an idiot. That has nothing to do with Phil."

"That would be great if that was all we were pissed about," Natasha drawled.

"Right," Daisy nodded. "I know that you're probably angrier about the whole not reaching out to you thing but he really does care about you. I know he does. You two are the ones he keeps a picture of on his desk. Still. We've changed bases a few times since SHIELD collapsed but he keeps that picture of you two close by. I'm sorry I didn't realize who you were at first. You're Strike Team Delta. Your Phil's team from back in the day. The team they still talk about."

"The team he replaced."

Daisy groaned, raking a hand through her shaggy brown hair. "Ugh! Why won't you just listen?!"

"Why should we?!" Clint countered. "Phil made his choices and now I'm making mine. And that's to protect my family. You tried to hurt my wife. You did hurt my son. Those are your two strikes. Those are your only strikes."

"What he said," Bucky and Natasha added in unison.

Daisy stared at them with wide eyes. Clint didn't need to look to imagine how completely terrifying a picture they made. Even Bucky who was literally acting as a human climbing post for Nyx. The fuzzy black kitten was way too interested in the tension in the room. She and Bucky found each barely a month ago and they were already starting to act like each other. So weird.

"Look, I'm sorry. This is..." she sighed heavily. "This is all my fault. Literally all of it is my fault."

"Daisy," the blonde started.

"No, Lincoln," she interrupted. "You and I both know if it wasn't for my powers the crystals never would've been dropped into the ocean. They never would've been turned into pills and there wouldn't be thousands or people across the globe experiencing an Inhuman awakening."

"Inhuman?" Wanda questioned softly. "Is that what you are?"

"Yes," Daisy nodded towards Lincoln as well. "My mother… she had this crazy idea that she was going to make the world for our kind only. She had crystals that would expose us to a biological change. It awakened powers in most and some physical changes in others. But when SHIELD… when I tried to stop her, it was too late. The crystals got loose and… well, the rest is history. All those people that have died… all those people who experiencing powers… it's because of us. I had to make it right."

"That's why you went after the twins?" Natasha murmured. "You were trying to make things right."

"I figured if I could just bring in the Sokovia twins, then I could start setting things right as far as SHIELD was concerned. Should've known that they were already on the right side." She gave a sad smile. "That's also why SHIELD is on the side of the Accords. I'm living proof of how using powers can be harmful. People like us need to be regulated."

"No, you want to be punished," Laura corrected. Clint didn't need to look to know she was glancing between him and Daisy. "Wow, Phil definitely has a type."

"Hey," Daisy and Clint protested in unison. Their eyes met and a flush spread across both their faces. Natasha snickered. Clint fixed her with a glare of his own. She grinned before nodding towards Daisy.

"Trust me when I say that we all know about making mistakes. But nothing good can come from acting recklessly to atone for your past mistakes." Natasha paused, tilting her head to the side. "Isn't that right, Tony?"

Clint was glad to note he wasn't the only one whirling around in confusion. When the hell did the others get back? Steve, Tony and Bruce were now standing beside the awkward looking Lincoln.

"Seriously, Spider Chick? We're really going to bring that up? Aren't you people over that yet?"

"It hasn't even been a year," Steve countered.

"You're going to be hearing about Ultron until you're an old man," Sam added.

"An older man," Bucky chimed in with a smirk. Tony flipped him off. Laura made his nose bleed.

"Wait, I thought Sam was the old man," Pietro murmured, that same mischievous smirk tilting his lips up. "But if Tony is older than even Sam…. That must mean he's…."

"Do not finish that sentence," Tony warned. Pietro grinned.

"Like older than the Earth," Pietro finished solemnly. Tony made a halfhearted attempt at swiping at the teen but he was gone before any of them could even blink. He zipped back into the room to grab Wanda before leaving again.

Tony sighed. "If anyone wants me, I'm going to be on the ship running tests."

"What kind of tests?"

"DNA! I refuse to believe that kid isn't somehow part Barton!" Tony retorted even as he headed out the door with an amused Bruce in tow.

"Dude! I did not have a kid when I was fifteen! I think I would remember that!"

"Whatever!" came Tony's oh so mature response. Clint rolled his eyes. It was then that he caught sight of the wistful look on Daisy's face. For a brief moment, she looked torn between laughing and crying. Laura stepped forward before stopping abruptly. She must have sensed it too. Whatever it was, it passed quickly. She murmured one final apology before letting Lincoln lead her outside.

As soon as they were gone, Clint felt the excess adrenaline and emotions he was feeling during their conversation fade slowly. Thankfully, there was a hand on his elbow keeping him steady. He leaned into the embrace that Natasha was offering and sank with his partner to the floor. He was dimly aware of the others filing out the room with Laura chiding Bucky about carrying his gun around the children with no real recrimination in her words. Clint shifted so he was holding Natasha as much as she was holding him. This wasn't any easier for her than it was for her. Phil meant a lot to both of them.

"What do you want to do about all of this?" he asked, breaking the silence between them.

"What do I want to do versus what we're going to do? There is a very distinct difference between the two," Natasha replied, smirk evident in her voice. Clint pulled away from her with a laugh.

"Okay, then, smart ass. What do you want to do?"

"I want to hurt him the way he hurt you."

"Nat," he sighed. "Don't…. Don't make this about me."

Natasha rested her hand over his. "It's always about you to me, Hawk."

He smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess it is. You know it's the same for me, right?"

"I know," Natasha answered, settling back in his arms. Her head was tucked under his chin. Outside he could hear the sounds of his children and their normal chaos intermingling with the rest of the team. Laura was occasionally heard laughing at their antics and there was a faint boom coming from the plane that told Clint all he needed to know about whatever science was going on there. For just a brief moment, Clint could almost forget that things were pretty crappy. For just one moment, he let himself drift. And then with a sigh, he came back to reality.

"I don't know what to do here, Nat. He chose not to come back for us. He closed us out. And now he's back and everything in me wants to fall back in line. Because despite the fact that he abandoned us, our lives were so much simpler back then." He exhaled shakily. "But we've changed so much since then too. The invasion and Sokovia and just everything. I don't think I could go back to following Phil. I don't think I could trust him again."

"Me either," Natasha murmured. She shifted her head. "But do you think you could ever forgive him?"

"Maybe," Clint shrugged. "Probably."

"You already did, didn't you?" he could hear the smirk in her voice. He sighed.

"Yeah, I did. I know. I'm a total loser."

"No," Natasha pulled away so that she could look him in the eye. "You are not a loser. You're a good man with a good heart. That's about the least crazy thing Loki said. You do have heart, Clint, a really great one. And it's big enough to let Phil back in. Even if you don't trust him enough to follow his lead. That's okay. It's also okay that you've forgiven him. To be honest, I guess I've kind of forgiven him myself."

He nodded slowly, picking at imaginary lint on his sweatpants. Silence fell over them for another few moments before they rolled their eyes in unison and looked to the kitchen door. "Seriously? You didn't hear enough yet, Coulson?"

The kitchen door cracked open minutely and Phil's head appeared in the small opening. He smiled sheepishly.

"How long have you known I was there?"

"Since you 'left'. You used to do that all the time when I was first recruited," Clint answered, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I guess death hasn't changed you that much, huh?"

Phil chuckled faintly before joining his two former assets on the floor. "I'm not giving you an excuse. But this is an explanation. I did die. And Nick used some… questionable methods to bring me back. I came back different. I felt wrong. But I asked to see you two immediately. From a distance of course but I just needed to see you. Nick let me. I saw you, Clint, with the kids. And you looked so happy to be home. And I saw you too, Nat. You were with Cap, running missions. Nice arrow necklace by the way."

Natasha flushed a red brighter than her hair before smacking the giggling Clint on the leg. Phil shook his head in that achingly familiar way that spoke of his amusement with their antics. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and shifting his focus between them both. Clint had a brief flashback to so many moments just like this. Times when Phil felt less like their handler and keeper, and more like family. Like when Clint had a massive panic attack after finding out the Laura was pregnant with Lila. Or the very first time Natasha was injured and had to place her trust in Phil and Clint to get out of danger. There were so many moments that tied Phil, Natasha and Clint together. And Clint knew in that moment that Phil was forgiven completely. Even though he lied to them for four years, he was back. He was here and he was alive and Clint wasn't going to take that for granted. He knew what regret looked like. Even though Bucky and Steve would get their acts together eventually, Clint didn't want to go for years wishing he had the courage to face his feelings before it was too late. Phil was family and even though he was a lying liar that lied, he was still the older brother/father figure Clint wanted and deserved.

"We're okay, Phil," Clint finally said out loud. Natasha glanced at him with an arched eyebrow. He met her gaze evenly and watched as a smile spread across her face. She nodded.

"Thank you," Phil replied, his voice cracking slightly. "I know that… I know that I can't ask you to come back to SHIELD. Not now. But just know that if you wanted, you'd both be welcome back. And not just you two, of course. Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes as well."

Clint smiled faintly. "We know... okay, we know that now. But we're Avengers. I have no idea what the hell that even means these days but that's who we are now."

"I know that too," Phil smirked. "Can't deprive the kids of their favorite uncles, huh?"

"Oh god no," Clint snorted. "I'm pretty sure they would fight me if I tried to take those idiots away from them. Even the twins. But especially Lila."

"She hasn't changed, huh?"

"Not one bit," Natasha said, fondly. Her tone was almost a little proud. Clint supposed she should be fond. Every bit of his daughter's daring devil may care attitude was carefully constructed under the tutelage of her beloved aunt. Clint was really going to have to limit that woman's access to his children. Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, Natasha elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted and was about to retaliate when the front door burst open.

Clint barely had time to react to that when there was a small figure rushing towards him, slamming headfirst into his arms before squirming between and then behind him and Natasha. He caught a glimpse of his daughter's dark brown hair before she did her best to disappear behind her new human shield. He turned to the door to find what he was supposed to be shielding her from storming in the door caring an arrow with a few telling bloodstains and an expression that spoke of just how done she was with their daughter in that moment.

"Lila Katherine Bishop Barton! What have we told you about shooting your brothers with arrows for fun?!"

Clint glanced over his shoulder at the adorable, mischief making moppet he called his youngest daughter. "You shot Cooper?"

"No!"Lila protested. "He ducked. Pietro didn't."

Natasha frowned. "We really need to work on his ability to dodge."

"Yeah, it's a serious problem. Anyway, what the hell started this one?"

"Tony and Sam! Who else? They each bet that Lila and Bucky couldn't make an impossible shot. Bucky had to shoot Steve from on top of the barn with one hand tied behind his back. Lila had to shoot Pietro from on top of Thor. They were supposed to be using the paint bullets and arrows. But your daughter strives for authenticity."

Clint bit his lip in an effort not to laugh. That would not end well for anyone. Honestly, what did she expect? She left their children with the rest of the Avengers. It would always end with someone getting shot with an arrow. Still…

"So wait, if you were supposed to shoot Pietro, how did Cooper get involved in this?"

"He was a bonus," Lila answered. Clint shot her a quick look over his shoulder before looking at Laura. His wife was also struggling to hide her own amusement.

"Bucky chickened out and couldn't take the shot with Steve. So instead he shot Tony and Sam. Our daughter didn't wuss out and shot Pietro. She then tried to take out Cooper. But he apparently sees arrows flying towards him and moves. Pietro sees them and forgets that's that he's faster than a moving train."

"He's your son!" they exclaimed in unison. Or what he hoped he could pass off as unison. Natasha helpfully pointed out that he was a half a second behind Laura. He glared at her letting her know that he didn't appreciate her help.

He twisted in place and scooped his daughter up and into his arms. She settled on his lap, looking slightly remorseful. He placed a kiss on her head. "Lila, we did talk about that. I know that Pietro can heal but it's not nice to shoot him. Especially since you know that he doesn't dodge."

"It's really a problem, Daddy."

Clint snorted. "Yeah, it is. So no more shooting your brothers with arrows. Paint tipped arrows or NERF guns, you know the rules."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Also don't listen to your uncles. They're idiots. Especially Tony and Sam. What did we tell you about listening to them?"

"Always question Uncle Tony. Listen to Uncle Sam only eighty percent of the time but question it if he's with Uncle Tony, Uncle Bucky or Uncle Steve. Never listen to Uncle Steve if the words 'justice', 'freedom' or 'civil liberty' is in the discussion. And when in doubt defer to Uncle Bruce, Uncle Bucky or Uncle Thor before following through," Lila recited dutifully. Clint rewarded her with another kiss on the forehead.

"I never thought I would see the day when Thor is the more rational member of the team," Phil said, wistfully.

"Yeah, well he is a thousand something year old alien god. He's picked up some wisdom along the way," Natasha shrugged. And then there was a flash of lightening outside echoed by a crash of thunder and all the lights in the house died. She sighed.

"Thor!"

"Lincoln!"

Natasha and Phil exchanged quick, surprised looks before glaring at the two sheepish blondes now standing in the doorway. Thor and Lincoln both looked torn between hangdog embarrassment and absolute delight at whatever they just did that caused the power to go down.

"Do I even want to know?" Phil asked.

Lincoln grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just showing Thor what I could do and I think we might have gotten a little carried away."

"Define a little."

"The power is out for a fifty mile radius," Daisy chimed in from where she was standing slightly behind the two men. Clint pinched the bridge of his nose as Lincoln and Thor traded what they probably thought were discreet high fives. What Thor forgot was that he was huge. Nothing he did was discreet.

Laura ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "You know that's probably the good thing about moving to the city. There's probably protection against random acts of gods taking out the power."

"And if there isn't, I'm reasonably sure Tony will have it installed before we move in," Natasha added, climbing to her feet. She held out a hand out to Lila. "Come, little one. We're going to learn how to fix the power. For some reason, I see this being an ongoing problem in our future. It would be good for you to learn how to fix the chaos caused by your ridiculous uncles."

Lila happily climbed off Clint's lap and followed Natasha out to the barn with Lincoln and Thor in tow. That left just Clint, Phil and Laura. Clint looked between his former handler and his wife. The two were staring at one another with unreadable expressions on their faces. For a brief moment, he remembered a similar tableau a little over ten years ago. When Laura first met Phil, she was prepared to hate him and any of the rules he was going to try and force on her. Phil was prepared for an unruly nightmare. And that's what happened at first but they slowly realized for all that they didn't have in common, their mutual love for Clint and need for his happiness was enough to help them connect. He was hoping it was enough now.

Finally, Laura broke the staring match. She glanced at Clint and gave him a small smile. "Phil, I'm glad you're not dead. I really am. But I swear if you put my husband through something like that again, that little migraine I just treated you to will be the least of your problems. I will take away any and everything that makes you who you are."

"I understand," Phil nodded. Laura narrowed her eyes for just a moment more before a smile settled on her lips.

"Okay then. You and your team are welcome to stay for dinner."

"You sure, Laura? There's a lot of us and…."

"I'm not cooking," Laura scoffed. "We're getting takeout, Phil. You try feeding a half a dozen people in addition to two super soldiers, a god, a giant rage beast and a speedster. No, we're ordering takeout. So settle in. Tony tips them like a ridiculous amount to see how fast they can get here."

"Thank you, Laura."

"No problem," Laura gave him a more genuine smile. She brushed a hand over Clint's hair before leaving the two men to talk.

"Clint, I…"

"I know," Clint mumbled. "I know you're sorry. And it's okay."

"Well, thanks. But that wasn't what I was going to say," Phil laughed. "I was going to say that I mean it. I'm so proud of you. You're so different than the man I met fourteen years ago. I was proud of that man for making the choice to come with me but I'm even prouder of you for letting yourself have a family. And not just Laura and the kids. I'm talking about the other Avengers and the twins."

Clint smiled faintly. "I never thought I could have both. I thought that I had to make a choice. I could have a family and the Avengers but not together. But… when Ultron happened, I didn't even hesitate. I brought them here without even thinking about it. I could've taken them to any of the safe houses Nat and I have stashed around the world but I brought them here. I think I knew before I even knew that they were family."

"They really are."

"So are you. You and the rest of the SHIELD crew. Wait, please tell me that May knows you're alive. Cuz keeping it from her might actually be crueler than not telling me and Nat."

"Melinda knows," Phil laughed. "She was actually part of the team for a while."

"Was?"

"She's on a temporary break. She and Andrew are trying to work it out."

"Andrew?! Like perfect in every way Andrew?! How did that happen? Dude, you dropped the ball, man. You had so many openings!"

Phil rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you and Natasha are so convinced that Melinda and I have anything other platonic feelings for each other."

"It's because we have eyes, Coulson. We have eyes."

"You're still a brat."

"Yes, I am," Clint smiled proudly. Phil shook his head but Clint knew him enough to read the amusement on his face.

"So what now? Where are you all going?"

"Tony's mom had a mansion in New York as a contingency plan should Howard ever completely lose it. She died before she needed to act on that plan but the house has remained in Tony's care since her death. And with the government seizing all control of any and all assets relating to Howard Stark, the mansion is the only home he has left."

"Not true. He has all of you."

"Death made you sappy!" Clint retorted. Phil laughed. "So what's next for SHIELD? Daisy said you guys are pro-Accords."

"Publicly, yes. We are. Privately, well… some of us more than others. But no. I know that SHIELD has questionable practices when it comes to gifted people but I'm changing how it works now. This superhero registration act that they're talking about it is a glorified witch hunt. And we're going to be working on it from the inside. SHIELD has been many things in its years but I refuse to turn it into some kind of Nazi regime." Phil paused taking in Clint's expression. "Okay, I refuse to let that happen again."

"Better," Clint laughed. "So… about Daisy."

"I'm not replacing you. I hope you know that."

"I do. Now. I get it now. But that wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to say that she seems like a good person. You know when she's not trying to murder and kidnap my wife and children. I think she's just lost right now."

"She is," Phil nodded. "She's had a rough year but she's tough. She's going to come out of this stronger. Not unlike someone else I know."

"Who?" Phil raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean me. Oh. Oh… okay."

"Yeah, okay," Phil chuckled, rising to his feet. He held a hand out to Clint who accepted it readily and let the older man help him up. "I did miss you, Clint."

"I missed you too, Phil. I'm really glad you're not dead. And I can't wait for you to meet the twins and Bucky. Oh, man! You're not going to believe this. You just have to see it for yourself."

"Oh, the whole Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes having feelings for each other thing?"

"How'd you know?"

"I have eyes, Barton. I have eyes. And Daisy said she got a vibe from them."

"Ha, vibe," Clint snorted, ignoring Phil rolling his eyes beside him. "Well come on then. Let me introduce you to the latest additions to the Barton crew."

"You and your strays."

"Like you can talk," Clint retorted, leading Phil out the house. "I learned from the best."

"Yes, you did."

Clint smiled even as he walked towards where the SHIELD team was mingling with the rest of the Avengers and his family. He paused for a moment just taking it in. He wasn't lying earlier. He never thought he could have this. But now that he did, he couldn't imagine a world where he didn't have these people together just like this. It was perfect. He felt Phil place an arm around his shoulders and leaned into the embrace. He sighed happily watching all the assorted weird people he loved most in the world open up to the SHIELD team. Though it was a rocky start, Clint was happy. Because SHIELD was his first home. It was the first place he ever felt like belonged. And now he that in spades.

"Oh, Phil?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful around Pietro and Bucky, okay? I'm not entirely sure they understand that I don't actually want you to be dead for real."

"I get it. You were upset that I was alive for real. So they want me to be dead so you'd be less sad. Makes sense."

"Really?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end. This story started off with me just wanting to write a cute story about the twins moving in with the Barton's but it kind of escalated as most of my stories tend to do I'm noticing. I'm not done with this new series (why do I always start series, guys? Why?!) But this particular story is done. I'll start the sequel soon with the team finally moving in and exploring more of the twins' history as well as just more fluffy family feels.


End file.
